Tainted Hearts
by LilithArtist
Summary: After nine years of recovery, Luna finds herself pulled into danger once again after Destiny Islands is lost to the darkness. But this time, she will not be alone. With Sora as her only remaining support, she will journey with him and new allies to find their friends and save the worlds...while Luna wants to save one friend from falling to darkness.
1. Prologue: A Warning to Luna

**Hello, everyone! Lilith here.**

 **And here we are, the third installment of the KH fanfic series: Tainted Hearts! I apologize for taking so long getting this up and running. I needed a lot of creative fuel in order to make it work.**

 **For those of you who are new to my Hearts series, I would highly recommend reading Broken Hearts and Scattered Hearts first, and then this. For those of you who have been following me, reviewing me, and enjoying my stories, I hope you'll love this one.**

 **All the same, constructive reviews are welcome. Rude words are not.**

 **Anyways, without further ado, hope you guys enjoy Tainted Hearts!**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave a review, but no flames allowed.**

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Prologue: A Warning to Luna

 _Luna. Wake up._

As the soft voice reached her ears, a fourteen-year-old girl woke up to find herself in a peculiar place that didn't seem familiar to her…or at least, she didn't think so. She looked all around her to find nothing but darkness, and was standing atop a stained-glass platform that showed the image of her, seeming peacefully asleep. However, she could tell that there was something a bit wrong about it: though she could see beside the girl the images of two boys and a girl and an elder man, on the edges of the platform, there were scars and cracks; what was more unsettling was that there were other images surrounding the picture, but for some reason they were either damaged beyond recognition or were covered by a dark substance.

 _Luna, a dangerous force is coming. You must be prepared to face difficult trials, face once more what broke your heart._

 _But do not be afraid. You will not be alone._

What was the voice talking about? She had trouble understanding what this means. Does this mean that there's something evil that could threaten the people she loves? Who will be with her during these 'trials'?

 _Enter through this door, and shed light as to who you are._

Before her eyes, a tall, mystical door appeared before her eyes, waiting for her to enter and see what lies beyond.

Not wanting to dawdle (and wanting to understand what this dream was about), she pushed the door as hard as she could until a light poured out and she stepped out into a large room that resembles a place she felt she once knew of; she could see a bright light fill the room through a glass window as a stairway led toward the upstairs, where three people stood at each distance, almost as though they were expecting her.

The first one she approached was a young boy about her age – maybe a little older – with ruffled, gold-blond hair, dressed in green and gray clothes with a shoulder guard on his arm and belt straps around his vest. He gave her an inviting smile, as though he wanted to talk to her.

"Ven…is it?" she asked, feeling familiarity.

"What is most important to you, Luna?" Ven asked her.

Carefully, she thought this over as she thought about what she had gained during her stay in her new home: the islands and the people who live there – even the friends and family she came to love so dearly.

"My friends…and my family…are most important to me," she replied.

The boy smiled at this. "It must be good to know you have many people who love you."

Satisfied with the answer given, he stepped aside and allowed her to proceed up the stairs to the next person she would face.

Meeting her at the top of the stairs is a young woman with blue hair and blue eyes, dressed like an elegant warrior with two sashes around her waist as well as a sleeveless top and shorts, held by straps and a brace around her chest and waist, complete with long stockings and armored shoes.

Like the previous individual who questioned her, she knew who this person was from the past.

"Aqua…?" she asked out of curiosity.

"What is it that you want most?" Aqua asked her.

Like before, she carefully thought over her answer until she was sure what was on her mind was what she wished to express. She couldn't help but think of the faces of the people she once knew, and of the parts of the strange platform she saw before; it made her wonder if something's missing.

"I want to remember who I used to know if at all, and to regain what I have lost in more ways than one," she replied.

"Is that so? Then take care not to let what haunts you torment you again," Aqua warned her in a protective tone.

After she gave her warning, Aqua stepped aside from the top of the stairs and allowed her to witness before her the presence of three thrones; one of which the last person she would meet was seated on until she approached the place that commands respect.

The last person to greet her was a man much older than her with dark hair set in a ponytail that has started to gray in several places, with a mildly wrinkled face that bore two scars over a calm yet powerful face; he was dressed more as a noble warrior, with a hakama and a white coat over his armor plate bearing the symbol of a heart on a cross.

Though she felt small before him, she also felt welcome at the same time; it was as though this person was meant to stand as a guardian.

"…Grandpa…Eraqus?" she asked nervously.

"What is it you are afraid of?" Eraqus asked her.

That was the very question she knew she could answer, but how could she bring it out? After all, she suffered enough when she lost her loved ones. She didn't want to go through the same thing all over again.

"I am afraid of losing my new friends…to the same evil that took everyone I once loved," she answered, trying to keep herself from crying.

Eraqus nodded in understanding. "I thought you'd say that. I am sorry you had to witness all the terrible things back then…"

 _Your friends and family are important to you. You want to remember what you used to know and regain what you lost. You are afraid of losing your friends to the evil that took away what was precious to you before._

 _Now, the moment of truth has arrived. Now you will be tested, to prepare you for the dangers to come._

All of a sudden, the environment changed from the grand room back into that strange place she was in; but this time, there was something different about it. She was standing atop a stained-glass that had the image of a woman with brown hair in a gorgeous yellow dress; unfortunately, she had no idea who it was.

But then, the mood changed when several black creatures with glowing yellow eyes formed out of the floor and began to search around the place for something to attack; this scared her quite a bit, since she didn't know what those things were.

 _You will encounter enemies that will mean harm. That is why you must fight them should you wish to move forward._

 _You are a Shadow Mage, are you not? You have a power not like other denizens of the dark. Your shadows are your weapons. Do you remember being taught that?_

 _Summon the shadows to fight on your behalf._

Though she didn't know how the voice knew about her powers, nor imply knowledge she is what some call a Shadow Mage, she knew that there was no point in questioning that since those black creatures are readying for an assault. Her memories of battles she experienced flowed through her mind as several Shadow Hands emerged around her, rearing for a fight and ready to obliterate the opposition.

With just a few waves of her hands, she silently commanded the shadowy hands to slash through the little beasts while being able to remain a safe distance from the danger ahead of her; should any of those things get too close, one hand emerged to pull her into her own shadow and make a quick getaway so that she could attack from another area with little trouble. She was able to stay alive until another development occurred that she didn't anticipate.

The next thing she knew was that a much larger black creature formed from the combination of the other little beasts; unlike anything she ever saw, it was a hulking monster with tendrils on its head and a bulky look to it, complete with muscular arms and – quite strangely – a hole in the shape of a heart.

 _But beware: there will be other foes that appear stronger and tougher than the average foe. But you can find a way to bring them down, just as you would to any other enemy._

Though she was afraid of that monstrosity's size, she knew that she had to do something to take it down. Using her abilities, she took the time to block any projectiles that came her way, and when there was an opportunity to strike, she took it without hesitation. She rinsed and repeated this until the beast was finally taken down and it melted away into a large, shadowy puddle of some sort.

But then, without a word of warning, she watched as an individual appeared before her, sparking another feeling of familiarity. She was able to register the brown ruffled hair and the blue eyes, wearing a sleeveless top with a loose hakama and armored shoes, and leather gloves bearing armor on one side; it was undoubtedly the brother she loved but lost to forces she couldn't stop years before.

 _You once had someone who you cherished so much._

She watched as the young man turned to face her, and was about to reach a hand out to her; but the darkness below surrounded him until he disappeared from her sight.

 _But then you lost him._

Then, to her right, she saw another person appear before her eyes. She was able to recognize the silvery blue hair and the aquamarine eyes she had known ever since she lived on the islands, which let her know that it was Riku she was seeing. She watched as he extended his hands out to her, as though he wanted her to come to him.

 _Do you want to save another person you love from suffering the same fate? If so, then you must fight that which threatens your loved ones like they did before._

She tried to move forward to take the inviting hands into her own, but she couldn't move. Why was that?

 _But beware, Luna._

Another figure formed out of the darkness over to her left, but she couldn't tell who it is since that person was dressed in black, and had their face concealed in darkness; however, she could tell that this figure was a man, but who exactly? She didn't know.

The male figure extended his hand out, as though he wanted Luna to come to him without question.

 _There are others who will stop at nothing to take you, and make you theirs._

Before she could make any movements, she felt herself being pulled into the darkness with no chance to escape. But before she vanished into the shadows, the voice gave her a small reassurance against her fears.

 _But do not despair, child. There is always a light to guide you through your ordeals._


	2. Chapter 1: Destiny Islands

**And here's another chapter, starting on Destiny Islands. I'm sure you know that it's part of the calm before the storm.**

 **Now, to help all of you understand the current situation, Luna - our protagonist - has successfully recovered from her mentally broken conditions, but has become a more soft-spoken and introverted individual who could easily slide into a meltdown if someone's not careful. Still, she will maintain her friendly and gentle nature she had back when she was a child.**

 **In other words, she's changed, but not into anything cynical or pessimistic or absolutely negative (just to reassure any readers worried about Luna's new conditions).**

 **That being said, enjoy!**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, review, but no flames.**

* * *

Chapter 1: Destiny Islands

The moment she opened her eyes, Luna jolted forward from shock to find herself in her normal comfort zone: her bedroom. She slowly looked around to take in the room to put herself at ease.

Granted, her bedroom wasn't anything too special compared to Kairi's, but it fit her preferences quite well.

It was a small room with the bare essentials, such as a simple dresser next to the bed for easy access when she needs it and a mirror hanging above it, a rack where she holds her veiled hats for her head, and a small bookshelf on the wall with a decent collection of literature she was introduced to over the years; the wall was colored a night-sky blue with a lunar motif in various places, and she even has a moon-shaped lantern on top of her dresser.

Sighing deeply in relief that she was okay, Luna slowly got out of bed and walked over to look at the girl staring back at her behind the glass.

Now at the age of fourteen, Luna's light-blonde, doll-curled hair has become longer and reached nearly completely down to her back and her green eyes show small gleams of light in them; though she did grow over the years, her growth stopped at 4 feet and eight inches, but she develop pre-womanly features (albeit with a small chest size) that kept her from being mistaken for a child.

"I wonder what that dream was about…" Luna said quietly, "Was it a warning of danger? If so, what kind of danger…?"

Then, she heard the sound of something tapping against her bedroom window, making her shift her attention away from the mirror to see what was up. But then her curiosity changed to surprise when she saw who was there trying to get her attention: it was one of her friends, Riku. After nine years, his silver hair reached nearly to his shoulders, and his body has developed into a more masculine physique (considering how he became more athletic than everyone else); he was wearing a yellow-and-black sleeveless shirt with black straps across the front, and dark blue pants with baggy pant legs held by straps at his waist and around his legs with blue-and-white sneakers.

She couldn't help but feel a warm smile come over her as she walked over to the window to see him. She unlocked the window and opened them so she could talk to him directly without her voice being muffled.

"So, the sleeping beauty has woken up?" Riku asked jokingly. "Kairi was wondering if you were ever going to wake up, since it's late in the morning."

"I'm sorry, Riku. I was having quite a strange dream," Luna apologized, "I don't know how to describe it, really…Oh, is Kairi already at the play island with Sora?"

"Yeah, they've already gone there. I figured that someone has to get your attention, so I volunteered to come get you," Riku replied.

"Oh. Well, just give me a few minutes, please. I'll meet you at the dock," Luna said.

"I'll see you there," was the last thing she heard him say as he walked off.

Once his back was turned, Luna couldn't help but let out a light giggle as she closed the window to get ready for the day. For today, she dressed in a no-sleeve, frilled shirt and a short double-flounced skirt, both held together by a leather buckled corset; on her head she put on a blue mini hat with a net veil over her eyes, black gloves, and she put on long black boots that went slightly past her knees. To top it off, she also took the pouch off the rack and secured it around her waist (she still had it on when she was very young, and has never parted with it ever since because it was of personal importance to her), and her moonstone brooch was fastened to her shirt.

She made ready to take her leave and catch up with her friends when she crossed paths with her adoptive mother, Yoko, at the kitchen.

When Yoko turned to see her, she gave a warm smile to her. "Good morning, Luna. Are you heading out to meet your friends and sister?"

"I am. How did you know I would?" Luna asked as she summoned a small Shadow Hand to take two biscuits from the table.

"I heard you speaking with Riku a few minutes ago, and heard that window tapping coming from your room," her adoptive mother replied. When Luna gave her a surprised look, she couldn't help but chuckle. "Yes, I am not lying. And I'm sure you already know that Kairi went ahead of you to the island. Will you be sure to be back with her in time for dinner?"

"Don't worry, Yoko. We'll be back for dinner," Luna reassured her.

Not wanting to keep everyone waiting for too long, she went out the door and hurried through town to the dock where she found Riku waving to her from the boat. Not wasting the chance, she climbed into the boat with him and they set off to the island they would play at whenever they could. Naturally, since Luna wasn't physically the strongest of the quartet, Riku had to row the boat.

"What do you suppose Sora and Kairi are doing?" Luna asked after a moment of silence.

"If I know Sora – which I do – he's probably taking a nap somewhere by the beach, and not working on the raft," Riku replied with a chuckle, "As for Kairi, she's most likely goofing off somewhere."

"I should've guessed…" Luna said with a sigh.

"C'mon, Luna, you've lived with her as a sister for years," Riku pointed out, "You should've noticed how much of an influence Sora was on her."

"I know…but I didn't mind her being with Sora," Luna replied as she starting nibbling on her biscuit.

Riku shook his head at her, knowing that she was hardly a complainer. "Why did I have the feeling you were going to say that? You're getting softer on us."

After that small conversation, they reverted back to awkward silence as they reached the little dock by the island and disembarked just in time to meet up with Kairi, who was running over to meet up with the two. That was when Luna suddenly felt her adoptive sister pounce on her and hug her tightly like she was missing her presence greatly.

"Luna, you slept in again. What's up with that?" Kairi questioned her in a scolding manner.

Luna blushed in embarrassment. "I don't know how to explain that…"

"Oh, well, I guess I can overlook that since Riku was nice enough to pick you up," her adoptive sister said as she shrugged her shoulders. "Anyway, we'd better go look for Sora and get his lazy bum up so we can get to that raft we've been working on. C'mon, Luna, let's get going."

Luna was about to ask what she meant when Kairi suddenly started pulling her along across the pier towards the shore.

Over the course of nine years, Kairi became a more outgoing and perky girl despite her unfortunate lack of memories of her past. Today, she was wearing a black sleeveless top with a white top over it with a purple bracelet on one arm and two bracelets on her other arm, a black choker and white necklace around her neck, and shorts under a purple skirt held by a blue belt and white-and-purple slip-on shoes.

Once they were further along on the island, she watched as Kairi turned to her with a bit of excitement on her face.

"So, Luna, what held you up?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Well…It might sound strange, but…I had the strangest dream. I don't know how to explain where I was, but at one point, I met the people I used to know," Luna replied as she tried to explain her vision, "They asked me questions…and then I fought an enormous black monster. After that…I could've sworn that I saw my big brother, and then Riku…and someone else. After that, I just woke up." She paused a moment. "I wish I knew what it was supposed to tell me."

"Well, so long as it wasn't a nightmare, that's good enough, right?" Kairi said optimistically, "I remember how you would frequently have nightmares for at least two years."

Luna felt her cheeks turn red from embarrassment. "Kairi…can we not discuss about it, please? I was very fragile back then."

Her adoptive sister gave her a cheerful smile and hugged her for a moment, letting her know that she knows what she meant.

"I know, Luna. And we're all glad that you're a lot better than years before," Kairi agreed, "And it's great that you agreed to come along on this crazy plan to venture past the island with us. I'm sure that it will be something quite different for us."

Beneath the veil, Luna couldn't help but think back on her years on the islands with her new family and her friends. After she and Kairi were legally adopted together, she initially was very dependent on others to be able to do things; not to mention, she had quite a hurdle getting a start on recovering from her mental illness. She would often suffer from nightmares at night, and during the day, she had a lot of trouble socializing due to her lack of speech and her painfully shy demeanor; on the physical side of the spectrum, she often needed someone to guide her along so that she could redevelop her mobility. But as she spent more time around her friends and her sister, she slowly began to regain her speech skills and her mobility, and she was able to enjoy the new things that could be offered to her.

But one day, Riku proposed the idea of leaving the islands to see other worlds. Why he thought a raft would be a good plan was utterly beyond her, but when that idea came up, Sora was excited at the thought of adventure outside the world they knew. On Kairi's part, there was the hope of finding out where she came from while they have yet to determine a reason for Luna.

"Hey, Luna, I think I found Sora!" Kairi's voice cut through, making Luna look up. "Let's go and give him a wake-up call."

Before Luna could make any protest, she felt herself being pulled along towards the sleeping Sora, who was completely ignorant of the fact that two good pals are sneaking up on him. Sure, he did jolt a bit from waking up, but he was about to go back to his nap when both Luna and Kairi hovered him, making him jolt in surprise yet again and sit up to face them.

At fourteen, Sora's chocolate brown hair became spikier than years before, but now he wore a red puffy jumpsuit with a black hoodie, a silver crown pendant, a loose blue belt, and a crown chain on one side of his waist; on his hands he wore white gloves with blue, black and yellow straps, and on his feet were goofy yellow-and-black shoes with straps holding them closed.

"Give me a break, Kairi!" Sora complained.

Kairi couldn't help letting out a playful giggle at him, while Luna just shook her head.

"Sora, you lazy bum," Kairi said, "We knew we'd find you snoozing out here."

"Sorry about that, Sora. She wanted to surprise you. I was just along for the ride," Luna apologized, "Were you really napping when you supposed to be helping?"

"No…! This huge black THING swallowed me up! I couldn't breathe. I couldn't…" Sora struggled to explain, only to get a little bonk to the head.

"Are you still dreaming?" Kairi said in disbelief.

"It wasn't a dream! Or was it a dream…?" Sora tried to protest, but faltered with confusion. "What was that place? So bizarre…"

"Well, you're not the only one who had a strange dream. I had one, too, but I don't know how to describe it to you," Luna said, trying to reassure that she was in the same boat.

Kairi rolled her eyes playfully as she walked toward the edge of the shore. "There you go again, Luna. What is it with you two and having dreams?"

Not understanding what she was talking about, Luna looked over to Sora with a face that asked 'do you suppose she never thinks about dreams?' which Sora shrugged his shoulders with a 'how should I know?' look on his face.

But then Sora changed the subject when he asked, "Hey, Kairi, what was your hometown like? You know, where you grew up."

Her answer was the obvious. "I told you before, I don't remember."

"Nothing at all?"

"Nothing."

Then, Sora turned over to Luna. "What about you, Luna? What was your home like, where you lived?"

Luna's head tilted downward as her face shifted to a sad frown. "I'd rather not talk about it…"

"Okay…never mind, Luna…" Sora knew that he shouldn't have asked her that question since it was a very sensitive subject that she didn't want to delve into. So he turned back to Kairi instead, eager to know more. "You ever want to go back, Kairi?"

She thought about it for a moment. "Well, I'm happy here. But you know, I wouldn't mind seeing it."

Luna changed her mood to a more positive one and nodded in agreement. "It would be good for you if you could see where you once lived."

"Yeah! And any other worlds out there," Sora agreed excitedly, "I wanna see 'em all!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Kairi asked.

"Hey, aren't you guys forgetting about me?"

Everyone turned around to see Riku come on over with a log held under his arm. That was when Luna remembered how she was dragged along by Kairi to find Sora and forgot about helping with the raft as she should be.

Riku shook his head in disappointment. "So, I guess I'm the only one working on the raft."

"Sorry, Riku…" Luna said as she blushed shamefully.

As he was approaching the group, Riku casually tossed the log he was carrying over to Sora (who was unable to react correctly when it was thrown his way); then he looked over towards both girls as they realized that they had been caught red-handed.

"And you're just as lazy as he is, Kairi. Luna, you're not exactly helping either," Riku pointed out.

"So you noticed?" Kairi asked mischievously. "Okay, then. I'll race ya."

Both boys looked at her like she was crazy, while Luna simply tilted her head in confusion.

"What, are you kidding?"

But the moment she said "Ready? Go!" the boys immediately started running ahead to see who would win, while Kairi followed right behind them and Luna hurried to keep up with everyone else.

* * *

Ultimately, after playing around and competing, there was still work to be done with the raft (particularly with the supplies). Sora was asked to get the materials that were still needed – two logs, a cloth, and rope – since Riku pretty much did most of the work whereas they were slacking, much to the disappointment of the poor boy that was told to do so. Though, after a little while, Luna thought that she should see if she could help him out, if only a little bit.

"Kairi, is it okay if I try and help Sora out? It's possible he might forget something in his search," Luna suggested.

"I think 'distracted' is the best way to describe it," Kairi corrected. "Are you sure you want to help, Luna? You don't have to if you don't want to."

"I'm sure. There's no harm if I do something a little helpful," Luna replied. Then, she looked up toward the islet. "Maybe I could get that log up there. I know how I can do that."

"What do you mean by…?" Kairi was about to question until she remembered what her sister meant, "Oh, yeah, those shadowy hands you can conjure. I forgot about that." She sighed lightly. "Alright, Luna, if you want to help, you can do that. Just don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it, alright?"

"Don't worry, Kairi. I'll be okay," Luna reassured her.

With that, Luna left her foster sister and went off towards the islet through the shack, and just as she has thought, she saw the log they needed a good distance from her current position.

Of course, she also saw Riku seated over at the paopu fruit tree, looking out across the sea (presumably ignorant that someone's on the bridge to the islet). Thinking that this would be a good opportunity to take the log without being noticed, Luna carefully conjured two shadowy hands from beneath the log's shadow and slowly dragged it into the murky puddle-like portal until her target reappeared close to her. When she got what she wanted, she thought that she had the chance to walk away without being spotted… until she felt a surprise hug from behind, which made her jolt in surprise and lose focus on her conjurations.

"I knew that was you, Luna."

Luna's cheeks turned a bright pink when she registered it was Riku. "How did you know that was me taking the log? I thought you were preoccupied…"

Riku chuckled as he lightly kissed her cheek. "I saw those black hands taking the log from the corner of my eye. That's why I knew you were the one doing it. Besides, I thought Sora was supposed to be grabbing the rest of the materials."

"I just wanted to help, that's all," Luna replied, fidgeting her fingers shyly.

"I see. In that case…"

Luna watched as Riku went over and picked up the log that she was carrying earlier.

"Why don't we bring it over to Kairi, and we'll figure out what to do from there," Riku suggested.

Luna blushed at this. "I don't have a problem with that."

As the two of them walked across the bridge away from the islet, Luna couldn't help looking around the island that they've played on since they were children. It was hard for her to believe that they were going to be attempting to leave the place in search of another world beyond their own; she didn't have the foggiest idea how long they'll be gone, or if they will ever be able to get anywhere with a raft (though, once she did question how a raft would help considering how choppy the ocean can get under extreme weather). She knew that Riku had always wanted to see a world unlike his own, and really, she did want to support him on that. She knew that Sora would want to explore anything at the slightest opportunity. As for Kairi…well…sad to say, only Luna came to understand better that she lost her memories of her past – especially her memories of meeting Luna before, as far as she knew – and she was sure that her dear sister and friend would like to know where she once lived.

So where did that leave her, though? On one hand, Luna wanted to go with them in the hope that she could repair the gaps in her memories which she suffered from for years. On the other hand, she wasn't sure if she wanted to, considering how her adopted parents were very wonderful as her family; not to mention there were certain pieces of her memories that she tried to keep from resurfacing.

"What's the matter, Luna?"

Quickly, she snapped out of her thoughts when she heard him speaking to her out of concern.

"Oh…I'm sorry. I was distracted…and worried, I guess," Luna replied. "I mean, I know seeing other worlds mean something to you, but...I don't know…it just also makes me feel rather…umm…"

"You're worried about leaving this place, aren't you? I know," Riku answered her as though he knew what was on her mind, "Once you get attached to someone, you have trouble thinking about leaving them."

"That's true…" Luna agreed quietly.

When they found Kairi where she always was, it was noticed that she was rather surprised to see Riku carrying the log instead of Luna.

"Are my eyes playing tricks on me, Riku, or are you really pitching in when you said you weren't going to?" Kairi asked in shock.

"No. Riku caught me trying to take the log," Luna replied, "I told him I wanted to help, so I guess he wanted to help me instead." She looked around for a moment. "That's odd. Wasn't Sora supposed to be here with the other items?"

Kairi let out a deep sigh. "Knowing him, he's either distracted by our other friends or he's snoozing in another place. I'd better go look for him."

Of course, it proved to be much easier than they thought when they found Sora sparring with Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie further down the shore. However, it seemed like things were getting pretty hectic because the three youngsters were, in a manner of speaking, ganging up on him; so, to ease everything up, they had to step in and convince the younger ones to cool down and leave Sora alone for a while. Fortunately, they agreed to do so without complaining, and even offered to give their shot with either Riku or Luna. However, both of them declined since Riku would probably beat them and Luna was never a fan of using swords (even if they were toys).

* * *

Hours went by, and when it was sunset, the four friends gathered at the paopu fruit tree to watch the day become night. Sora and Kairi were seated on the tree, while Riku simply stood by the trunk looking cool and Luna seated herself next to him.

"So, Kairi and Luna's home is out there somewhere, right?" Sora asked.

"Could be. We'll never know by staying here," Riku replied.

"But how far can a raft take us?"

"Who knows? If we have to, we'll think of something else," Riku answered, waving it off.

"Maybe, assuming that something happens to the raft," Luna added in concern.

"So, suppose you do get to another world," Kairi questioned, "What would you do there?"

"Well…I haven't really thought about it. It's just…" Riku thought about it a moment. "I've always wondered why we're on this island. If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one? And suppose there are other worlds…then ours is just a little piece of something much greater. So we could've easily ended up somewhere else, right?"

"I don't know," Sora said as he shifted his seating position.

"Exactly. That's why we need to go out there and find out. Just sitting here won't change a thing," Riku pointed out, "We just do the same stuff. We should go."

"You've been doing a lot of thinking, haven't you?" Kairi asked with a giggle.

"Thanks to you and Luna," Riku answered, "If you both hadn't come here, then I would've never thought of this. Kairi, Luna, thanks"

"You're welcome," Kairi replied.

"I don't understand how we helped, but…you're welcome," Luna agreed.

When it was about time to leave for home, the four headed back to the dock and returned to the mainland. After that, Luna returned home with Kairi and had their time with their adoptive parents; then it was getting late, so everyone had to head for bed. As she was getting herself settled in, though, Luna was greeted by Yoko and her husband, Hiroshi, who seemed to have something on their minds (but she couldn't tell what it was exactly).

"Hello there, Luna. Did you have fun with Kairi?" Hiroshi asked sweetly.

"I did, Hiroshi. We were very busy all day," Luna replied.

Hiroshi shook his head as he chuckled. "Even after nine years of living with us, you still call us Hiroshi and Yoko. I guess after all this, I'm getting used to this."

"Honey, she knows that she was adopted along with Kairi," Yoko reminded her husband, "That's why she keeps referring to us by our names than what we wanted her to call us."

But when Luna saw their faces change from light-hearted to serious, she wondered if there was something going on.

"…What's the matter? Is there something wrong?" Luna asked in concern.

She watched as Hiroshi shifted his attention towards the rack where her pouch was being held, and sighed deeply as he turned back to her.

"Luna, do you remember when you were in the hospital?" Hiroshi asked her, "When you were being treated for what the doctor understood to be a mental illness? Well, there was something we were informed about when we were discussing your adoption, but we didn't want to bring it up until you had recovered from your instability." He paused for a moment. "The doctor informed us that you mentioned once having a family and friends, but you refused to speak about anything else. What for, I haven't the faintest idea. We were hoping that maybe you could help us learn about your origins."

At first, Luna was unsure how to respond to what she was told. But when she knew that they only wanted to help her, she knew that she had to say something.

"I…I don't know where I was actually born. I know I have a mother, but…I don't know where she is," Luna replied sadly, "I had a brother…and a grandpa…and friends. But they're all gone."

Yoko sat next to Luna and hugged her gently. "Oh, my poor girl, we're so sorry to hear about that. It's no wonder you were so lonely since you came to the islands. But at least you're not alone now. You have loving parents, a sister who cares about you, and good friends who would do anything to help you. We may not know what you went through, but you have a better life now, and that's all that matters."

Though it was a comfort to hear such reassurance coming from her adoptive parents, Luna couldn't shake off her thoughts on that dream she had; the way it warned her that danger was coming, and that it would affect her life like it did before. It made her dread the idea of losing more people she loved.

It left her one question she couldn't answer all night: who will be able to help her when the danger does come?


	3. Chapter 2: The Coming Storm

**Yeah...I'm pretty sure you guys saw this part coming.**

 **But I'd like to know who's surprised to see Medea's back.**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave a review, but no flames.**

* * *

Chapter 2: The Coming Storm

Another morning arrived at the islands, and this time, Luna was able to wake up early enough to catch up with Kairi and meet up with the boys at the play island to continue working on preparing the raft for sailing. But this time, she rode with her sister to the island since the boys had already gone ahead. However, as they were closing in on the dock, Luna was taken by surprise when Kairi asked her an unexpected question.

"Did Mom and Dad speak with you a bit last night?" Kairi asked.

Luna was a bit startled at this. "Why do you ask that? Were you listening?"

"A little bit. I never thought that you had loved ones that you lost…or something around that line. It must be a painful thing to know," Kairi replied with a hint of sadness, "But you also remember how you were once asked if you recalled anything else the first time, don't you? You instantly went silent and you started to cry. It was almost as though whatever memories you had, you were trying your hardest to shut them away or something…or you couldn't remember anything more, like there's a gap in your memory."

"A gap in my memory…" Luna repeated before her thoughts wandered somewhere else.

As far as she was concerned, it never crossed her mind that she would have gaps in her memories up till now. But ever since she had that dream, Luna started to question if there was something she had lost or forgotten in her mind; if that was the case, then what could possibly revive those memories that she lost? There was no way she would know at the moment.

Her focus returned to reality when they arrived at the play island to find Riku staring out towards the ocean while Sora was…well…just being Sora. Kairi hurried over to him the moment they set foot on the dock, but Luna instead opted to find out what was on her silver-haired friend's mind. The moment she did approach him, though, one glance from him indicated that he noticed her coming.

"Hard to believe it's getting closer to when we'll head out, isn't it?" Riku asked.

"It is hard to believe. I mean, thinking about using a raft to see other places," Luna agreed, "I don't think too many people have ever thought about wanting to go on adventures. And, to be honest, I don't know what I'll get dragged into now ever since…" Her voice started to trail off. "…ever since years ago…"

He quickly caught on that she was entering a negative memory. "Luna, it'll be alright. Whatever you went through then, it was hard on you. This adventure won't be the same thing you experienced in the past."

Luna was about to say something when Sora came along in quite a hurry.

"Hey, Riku! Hey, Luna!"

"Hey, Sora, our raft still needs a name. Let's see…" Riku thought for a moment. "…How about Highwind?"

"That sounds like a bold name," Luna agreed.

Sora made a face at the name. "Are you kidding? Who would go with Highwind?"

"Then what would you name it, Sora?" Riku asked challengingly.

Both watched as Sora put his hand to his chin and thought about it for a moment or so, until he finally came up with the first thing he could think of.  
"How about…Excalibur?" he suggested.

Luna giggled at the suggestion, making Sora give her a pouting face while Riku shook his head in disbelief.

"Sora, I don't think that would work. It sounds more like a name for a weapon than a name for a boat," Luna pointed out as she kept giggling.

Then, an idea crossed Riku's mind. "Hey, how 'bout…"

"The usual?" Sora asked.

Uh-oh…The moment Luna picked up the warning signs; she knew that those boys were going to start up another competition in a matter of moments. The only thing that could ever catalyze it would be…

"You guys at it again? All right, I'll be the judge," Kairi called out as she came over to the cove.

Yep. Kairi just had to encourage it.

"If I win, I'm captain!" Sora declared proudly, "And if you win…"

"I get to share the paopu with Kairi," Riku bluntly answered him.

That made Sora's jaw drop a little at that, while Luna looked at both of them with a 'what are you talking about?' face.

"Deal? The winner gets to share a paopu with Kairi," Riku said with a smirk.

"Okay, on my count: 3…2…1…Go!" Kairi called out.

Then, within seconds, the boys raced off to see who can beat one another, leaving Luna alone with her adoptive sister.

"Kairi…didn't you hear what they were saying…?" Luna questioned with unease.

"Oh, I did, alright. But Riku wouldn't want to share a paopu fruit with me," Kairi replied with a sly smile. "If anything, I'm pretty sure he'd rather share it with you, Luna."

Luna's facial cheeks turned a bright red in embarrassment. "W-What are…? Kairi, I…! It's just…"

"C'mon, Luna, don't deny it. I've seen the way you are for nine years now. As a girl, you were always following Riku when the rest of us are not looking," Kairi insisted, "And don't say that doesn't mean anything because I've seen some times where you would get very clingy over him, or you would continually watch him without looking at anything else. It's almost as though you imprinted on him or something."

As much as Luna didn't want to admit it out loud, she always did have a bit of an obsession over Riku ever since she was a child. Why, she didn't really know, but in one of her fragmented memories she did meet him before and was quite charmed by him even though they were so young then. But she really wished Kairi didn't have to be so embarrassing as to point out what has become obvious over the years; she wanted to tell him what she felt when she feels brave enough to do that.

But then she had to snap out of it as the boys were coming back to the cove. Sora was about to take the win since he was ahead of Riku, but then the wood broke from under him and almost made him fall in; thus, his own friend took the win yet again.

"Alright, then, we're naming the raft Highwind," Riku said proudly. He turned towards Luna. "Hey, Luna, I was joking about sharing the fruit with Kairi."

"I know…She told me…" Luna replied, blushing yet again.

"You should've seen how she was reacting. I told her you'd rather share the fruit with her, and she just turned red on her face," Kairi added, not realizing that she was only making it worse.

Sora caught up just in time to notice something's up. "What's wrong with Luna? Is she okay?"

"She's fine. She just needs a change of scenery, that's all," Riku quickly replied as he started leading Luna away, "Besides; we still need to get supplies anyway."

That was one of those moments when Luna had to be really glad about; anytime she gets into an awkward situation (whether it is due to an embarrassing topic or something else entirely), someone figures out a way to get her out of it so that she could be given enough space to calm down.

When she and Riku were away from the others, she was able to gather herself back together and return to reality.

"Are you feeling better?" Riku asked; just to make sure she's fine.

"I'm alright now. But that was…" Luna shook her head. "I'm sure that Kairi means well with anything she says, but sometimes she just embarrasses me."

"She's just teasing you, don't worry about it," Riku told her. "You've lived as sisters for a while, remember?"

Luna nodded, knowing what he was talking about. "I know…Don't take it the wrong way. I love being around Kairi. She has been very good to me as a sister, and I love her for that. But I wish she didn't have to say such embarrassing things…"

"C'mon, Luna, you have to get all that out of your head," Riku laughed light-heartedly, "and think of something else to worry about."

"Well, then, how about I help get the supplies?" Luna wondered, "Sora might be having problems with collecting everything."

While Luna walked away from Riku to look for Sora and see if he needed any help, she thought it would be a good idea to check up with Kairi and find out what was needed before searching for their goofball of a friend. Thankfully, she was able to find Kairi by the raft, apparently crafting something out of the shells found by the shore of the island; naturally, her curiosity got the better of her when she couldn't help but take a peek at what she was doing.

"What is that you're doing?" she couldn't help but ask.

"I'm making a good luck charm," Kairi replied as she stopped her work for a moment, "You've heard of the stories surrounding it, haven't you?"

"I think…it was something about sailors having charms on them during their journey to the unknown," Luna answered.

"Yep, that's the basics about it. And I'm sure you already know that the best materials to use to make such things are Thalassa shells," Kairi said as she kept working on the charm.

"…Someone I knew said something about that," Luna admitted, "She did something like that, though she didn't use shells. But she meant well for her friends…"

Her voice trailed off when old memories resurfaced in her mind, mainly the one where she was with her brother and friends under the starry sky. It almost brought her to tears when she thought about it, but she was able to wipe it away quickly before Kairi could notice it.

"So…is there anything I could do to help, Kairi?" Luna asked, changing the subject.

"Actually, there might a way you can help out. You see, the supplies we need for the trip are one seagull egg, three mushrooms, three fish, drinking water, and two coconuts," Kairi replied, "Sora was able to get the water and the fish, and he's working on getting the mushrooms as far as I know. But he hasn't gotten the rest yet…it makes me wonder if something distracted him…"

"It's okay…I'll get the rest for him, don't worry," Luna reassured her as she walked away.

The good thing with Luna helping out with some of the tasks required from another person is that she is able to make use of her Shadow Hands from time to time, especially when she is multitasking on minor chores; she was able to use her conjurations to reach for the coconuts high up on the trees without having to climb, and without stirring up too much trouble from the seagulls, she was able to grab a single egg and deliver all of them to Kairi with little to no trouble.

Once she was done with that, she decided to go look for Sora and find out what he is doing that stopped from finishing his job. Fortunately, she didn't have to look too far when one of the younger fellows, Wakka, told her that he went into the cave (which she knew was actually her friends' Secret Place, as they called it). As she entered the Secret Place, Luna couldn't help but look around the area and see the pictures that had been drawn along the rocky walls. It certainly reminded her of when Riku showed her the place while Sora and Kairi were not looking; sure, it was when she was still in the early stages of her recovery, but being brought in there helped her speak about her problems, if only a little.

* * *

 _Flashback: Seven years ago…_

 _Eight-year-old Riku was gently leading seven-year-old Luna into what he called the Secret Place, with Luna clasping his arm tightly to him like a lifeline. It was a bit dark in the cave, and it frightened her significantly._

 _"_ _It's dark…I don't like it…" Luna said fearfully._

 _"_ _It'll be okay when we get further down," Riku reassured her, "You'll see."_

 _When they had reached the end of the cavern, Luna was able to see a wide open space with drawings just newly begun, and a lot more room for other scratchy drawings anyone would want to do. It was an amazing sight, but what she wasn't sure about was why she was being brought here if it was something important to him and Sora. But then she noticed a crude drawing over to her right, which apparently seemed to resemble Sora and Kairi; Riku noticed it, too._

 _"_ _I guess Kairi already knows about the place," Riku speculated._

 _"_ _What are we doing here…?" Luna questioned._

 _She saw him turn to her with a look that indicated he wanted answers, and he knows how he might able to do that._

 _"_ _It's been two years since you came here, and you've hardly ever spoken to us," Riku answered her, "and not about your problems especially. So, I think we need to figure out how you can talk about it." That was when he walked over toward an empty space of the wall, picked up a pointed rock, and came up with an idea. "I've got an idea. How about you draw something right here, and show me what you're feeling?"_

 _It was a rather unorthodox idea of his, but since he was rather insistent on it, Luna walked over toward the wall and – with Riku's persistent gesture to take what's in his hand – used the rock to draw a crude stick figure resembling her. After that, she just stopped._

 _"_ _Is that you?" Riku asked._

 _Luna nodded sadly._

 _"_ _Where is everyone else?" he asked, hoping to get something out of her. "Your family or any friends you had?"_

 _"…_ _No one's with me. I'm alone now…" Luna answered, her head hanging down._

 _While she wasn't watching, though, Riku took the rock she was using and began to draw other figures next to the one Luna made, each one resembling him, Sora, Kairi, and the couple that took her in. When she looked up, she was surprised to see the changes made._

 _"_ _You see this, Luna? You were alone. We may not know why or what caused that to happen to you, but you're not alone now," Riku told her, "You have Kairi as your sister, you have parents you love you and want to help you, and you have me and Sora as your friends. So long as you have any of us by your side, we will do everything we can to support you and we will never abandon you."_

 _Luna looked over to Riku, moved to tears at the good things she heard. "…Really?"_

 _He nodded with a smile. "I mean it, Luna. You'll be fine so long as you have us."_

* * *

Luna snapped back to reality, remembering that Sora is in there, and she has to find out what he's up to. At least she didn't have to look far, since she was able to spot him making changes to the drawing he had done with Kairi years before; she could see that it looked like he was drawing a hand giving a paopu fruit to Kairi.

"What are you doing, Sora?" she asked instinctively.

Unbeknownst to her, her sudden question startled Sora, making him turn around and attempt to cover up what he was doing.

"Luna! What are you doing here?" he asked nervously.

"I came looking for you, because you didn't come back with all the mushrooms as Kairi asked you," Luna replied as she gently moved him aside, "Is this picture supposed to tell you love her? Why couldn't you tell her yourself?"

Sora chuckled nervously as he tried to explain himself. "Well…I dunno. It's just…"

But then, Sora lost his voice as he felt like he was being watched. Luna also noticed it, but on her part, another fear welled up inside her; almost as though she knew this eerie feeling before. Both of them turned around to see a figure concealed in a brown hooded cloak, the person's face unseen by either of them.

"W-Who's there?" Sora questioned nervously.

"I've come to see the door to this world, and if the missing Shadow Mage is here," the hooded man answered.

"Huh?"

"This world has been connected." The hooded man went on.

Luna immediately huddled close to Sora for protection just as her friend put himself in front of her, meaning to keep harm from coming to her.

"W-What are you talking about?" Sora pressed his questions, still confused.

"Tied to the darkness…soon to be completely eclipsed," the hooded man kept going, most likely ignoring the questions directed at him.

"Well, whoever you are, stop freaking us out like this." But then Sora had a double take. "Where did you come from?"

"You do not know what lies beyond the door."

"So, you're from another world like Luna?" Sora questioned.

The hooded man only gave more cryptic words. "There is so very much to learn. You understand so little, especially…about her."

Luna squeezed Sora's hand tighter, letting him know that she's feeling more afraid. Sora held her hand to reassure her to be strong.

"Oh, yeah? Well, you'll see. I'm gonna get out there and learn what's out there!" Sora declared rather boldly.

"A meaningless effort," the hooded man responded, "One who knows nothing can understand nothing." Then, he looked over towards Luna. "To think that you've been hiding here all these years…"

Then, things got more eerie when one moment the stranger was eyeing them from the shadows, but the next moment he was gone in a blink of an eye.

"What was that? And why did that wierdo talk like he knows you?" Sora asked Luna.

But she shook her head, not too eager to talk about it. "No…I don't want to think about it. Please, Sora, don't say anything about this to Kairi."

Though he wanted to ask more questions, Sora complied with her wishes and left the Secret Place to finish up with his tasks, leaving Luna alone to think over what had happened moments before. It scared her that the eerie individual somehow knew – or had a feeling – that she was here on the islands; but for what reason did she have to hear that? For that matter, was the appearance of that hooded person another sign of danger that her dream warned about? Not wanting to think about right now, Luna decided to divert her attention elsewhere and think of something to preoccupy herself.

So, when she looks around the area, she was able to locate an empty space that she could make use of for whatever she wishes. Then, thinking about what Sora was doing earlier, she thought about drawing something nice for Riku. Luna crouched down near the empty space, picked up a rock, and began to draw big stick figures of herself and Riku together; she had just finished drawing her hand giving the star-shaped fruit when she heard footsteps coming into the Secret Place right behind her.

"What are you doing, Luna?"

Quickly, Luna jumped up and moved in front of the picture to cover it up from plain sight.

"Umm…nothing, Riku, really," Luna replied sheepishly, "I just…got distracted. Were you looking for me?"

"Well, Kairi noticed that you hadn't come out with Sora, so I took the liberty of coming to get you," Riku replied, "Night's starting to close in anyway. We'd better head back to town in a moment."

Luna looked down a moment. "Oh…I see." Then, she looked back up. "Riku…do you ever have the feeling that someone has been, I don't know, stalking you? Or…maybe looking for you?"

"What makes you ask?" Riku asked out of curiosity.

She wanted to tell him about what she saw, but something made her decide against it. "…Never mind. Forget I asked that. I guess…I guess I was feeling paranoid lately, what with the whole eagerness to leave the islands."

Though she didn't want to worry Riku with what she witnessed earlier, Luna didn't figure that this one mistake would hurt her quite a bit…

* * *

Night had strolled around, and Luna had just finished in the shower, so she thought she should go to Kairi's room and let her know that it was her turn.

"Kairi, the bathroom's open now. I've just finished," Luna called as she opened the door.

But the moment she did, she was shocked to find that her adoptive sister wasn't in her bedroom. That was when she saw what appeared to be a storm a ways off, and – fearing that she might've gone out by herself to check up on things without asking her – at full haste, she immediately hurried down the stairs and out the door to look for her before things got completely out of hand. Though it was rather foolish to go out alone, she didn't have any other choice; this was Kairi, and she dreaded the idea of losing someone who was part of her family.

By the time she reached the dock, she was surprised to see Sora out there as well.

"Sora, what are you doing here?" she asked over the winds.

"I could ask you the same question. I was going to check on the raft," Sora answered, "That storm might destroy it."

"I'm worried about Kairi. She disappeared," Luna explained, "I have to find her. She could be hurt without any help!"

"Then ride with me. We'll look for her together," Sora suggested hastily as he prepared the boat for a trip to the play island.

Not wanting to waste any precious time, Luna jumped into the boat with him and they hurried to the island as fast as they could. As they got closer and closer, Luna quickly realized that there was something wrong about this storm they were traversing against; from a distance, she could barely make out something sinister hovering over the skies, but she couldn't make out what it was for the moment.

When they reached the dock, the pair discovered that there were two more boats at the dock of the play island; it was clear that they aren't the only ones there.

"That's Riku's boat, and Kairi's!" Sora exclaimed.

"Riku…? Then that means he could be in trouble, too! We have to find them!" Luna cried, anxiety creeping in.

Luna and Sora hurried across the island to look for their friends before anything worse happens to them, but then ran into more problems when several black creatures with yellow eyes began to make their appearances and started moving all around the place. This startled the two quite a bit, more so with Luna as she grew terrified of them.

"Those things…! What are they?!" she cried out in terror.

"Where'd they come from is the right question," Sora answered as he pulled her along.

The two kept moving while trying to evade the black creatures until they could barely make out the shape of Riku at the islet. Knowing that they had found someone, they hurried over posthaste to assess the situation and get a warning out to him.

But when they got there, Luna was finally able to get a clearer view of the sinister shape hovering above the island. Suddenly, a fragmented memory flashed into her mind as she recognized the dark sphere from the darkest parts of her past:

 _As the dark sphere hovered above them, sinister winds began to blow all around them as darkness covered the land._

 _Luna looked all around her as she saw parts of the castle start to break apart, and slowly floating towards the dark sphere hovering above them. She couldn't believe that her adopted home would be ruined by a person so evil…_

"No…! That thing…! It's just like before!" Luna gasped in horror. "Sora, we have to get away from it! Please, we have to get away from here!"

Getting an idea on what Luna might fear; Sora tried to get their friend's attention. "Riku, where's Kairi? I thought she was with you."

"The door has opened…" Riku said, too focused on the dark sphere hovering over them.

"What?" Sora asked in confusion.

"The door has opened," Riku repeated as he turned to face them, "Sora, Luna, we can finally go to the outside world."

"What are you talking about? We've gotta find Kairi!" Sora demanded, "Luna's worried about her!"

"Kairi's coming with us! Once we step through, we might not be able to come back," Riku insisted, "We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us. I'm not afraid of the darkness!"

That was when Luna was able to start connecting the dots on what her dream was trying to warn her about: she had lost her brother to the darkness years ago, which she was powerless to fight against. So the voice she heard was, in a way, telling her that if she doesn't want to go through a repeat of the misfortune she had, she had to put every effort she could to save another loved one from suffering the same fate as her lost sibling.

"No, Riku, don't say that! You don't understand what will happen if you allow the dark force to tempt you like this," Luna cried out in desperation, "It happened before. Please, Riku, it could be a trap! Please, reconsider!"

Turning toward Luna, Riku reached his arm out and said, "Luna, you promised to come along, didn't you?"

All of a sudden, a dark substance appeared underneath him and surged all around him; but for some reason, it didn't bother him as he kept his arm extended. But when Sora and Luna tried to reach out to either save him or just take his hand, the both of them were caught in the same substance as well; however, they felt themselves being pulled into the deep darkness with no way to escape from it.

However, as Luna was about to disappear into the deep darkness, a female voice that felt familiar rang out from the shadows with one demand.

 _"_ _Hey! You wanna get out of this? Hurry the hell up and call my name, now!"_

Within that moment, a name returned in Luna's memory as she called out the very name she knew before:

"Medea, help me!"

In a blink of an eye, a small flash surrounded her for a split second, and the next thing she knew, she felt two arms grab her and a strong force break through the darkness until she returned back on familiar ground. Quickly, she turned to see someone that she hadn't seen in years. By her side was a woman with bright red hair and piercing violet eyes, dressed in a royal purple, billowing dress that flowed almost completely down her body; her animalistic claws protruded from the sleeves, but didn't do any harm to her.

"Medea…is that you?" Luna asked, surprised to see her.

"About damn time you needed my help. Do ya have any idea how long I've had to go dormant all over again until you've recovered from your breakdowns?" Medea asked with both relief and annoyance.

Before Luna could try and explain herself, a flash of light occurred next to her and Sora reappeared alongside her; but he was now armed with a key-shaped weapon in his hands. It was a blade with a gold handle and the key part colored in silver, and a silver keychain shaped like the face of a mouse.

"Sora, you're alright! And…that weapon…" Luna said in shock.

He didn't exactly pay attention when he noticed that Luna was not alone on the islet.

"Luna, who is that -?" Sora was about to ask.

"Can we discuss about it later? We've got other problems going on here," Medea demanded.

That was when Luna remembered. "Kairi…! We've got to find Kairi!"

"Uh…right! C'mon, we've got to get to the Secret Place!" Sora agreed restlessly, leading the way.

Now that Sora had a usable weapon on hand, he began to hack away at the black creatures that tried to get in their way while Luna summoned her Shadow Hands to aid her and Medea slashed away at any trying to come at them from behind.

But when they arrived at the entrance to the Secret Place, there was something completely out of place: a door showed up there for reasons they couldn't understand. The three kept on going anyway, and found Kairi standing before what was finally revealed to be a door with a keyhole; however, there was something very unsettling and wrong. Flickers of dark energy were flooding out of the keyhole, and even leaking through the cracks around the door.

"Kairi…? Are you…?" Luna tried to ask whether she was alright.

Kairi turned to face them, but her face gave an impression that she didn't seem to be feeling well; if anything, she looked rather pale and sick, especially with the pained look on her face.

"Sora…Luna…"

Without warning, the door burst open, allowing a powerful surge of dark energy to overflow out of the cavern and sending Kairi careening for them. Sora tried to reach out and grab her, but in mere moments, she disappeared right before her eyes. Then, strong winds blew all three of them out of the cavern, and the next thing they knew, they found themselves on a part of a beach about to be sucked into the dark sphere right above their heads. It only got worse when they saw a gigantic black creature appeared before them, rearing for a fight before everything disappeared.

"Sora, it's that monster I saw in my dream!" Luna cried out in horror.

"What do we do against this thing?" Sora questioned, still not used to the change of events.

"What do you think you're supposed to do, kid? Attack the damn thing!" Medea replied, not having the patience to give a long speech.

Fortunately, with Medea helping out against the monster by slashing away with her elongated claws, Sora and Luna took advantage of the distraction she was creating and smacked away at it with everything they've got, sometimes dealing with the smaller critters when they needed to. Luckily for them, it didn't take long for them to take it down.

However, this proved to be bittersweet as they felt themselves being pulled in by the strong gales circling around them. Sora tried to hold on against the wood for dear life, while Luna tried to cling to his available hand and Medea held her protectively against her. Unfortunately, they were unable to maintain any grip and found themselves being hurtled into the darkness…


	4. Chapter 3: Traverse Town

**Here we are: Traverse Town!**

 **Now, to prevent any potential confusion at the start, allow me to explain a little addition I took the liberty of putting in: if any of you are familiar with the Disney film Pinocchio, you'd recall that there was a minor character who had already become a donkey but was still able to talk (sadly, we never know what becomes of the talking ones). Well, I wanted to do an expansion on this character because, really, despite whatever the hell turned the poor kid into an animal, I wanted someone to be sympathetic to such a fellow. And, hey, perhaps with the second visit to Traverse Town, I could give an explanation as to why this child also escaped being lost to the darkness. Never know.**

 **Guest: You wanted to know if Medea was the same age as Axel? Well, actually, Medea looks about the same age as Axel in CoM and 358/2 Days; however, she is actually ageless. If you read carefully from her first appearance in my Broken Hearts story and came back to this, you'd realize that she hasn't physically changed a bit.**

 **Well, with all that being said, hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

 **As usual, constructive reviews are welcome. Rude ones are NOT.**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave a review, but no flames.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Traverse Town

When Luna woke up, she looked around to find herself in a place completely unfamiliar to her. She could see there were bizarre buildings all around her, and from afar she could just make out the flashing lights from a distance along the rows of buildings right in front of her; though she could see lampposts all over the place, providing light amidst the perpetually night sky, and there were several gates and doors that would lead to other places if she thought about looking.

"Where…? What is this place?" Luna asked herself, "I remember…that horrible dark sphere…and…" Then, it hit her: Sora's not with her! "Oh, no! Sora! Where is he? And Riku…and Kairi…"

"Well, you're not gonna get anywhere by panicking, aren't ya?"

Luna turned around to find Medea standing across from her, impatiently tapping her now normal fingers against her folded arms and tapping her black boots against the asphalt pavement below her feet.

"Wouldn't you believe that we're so not someplace familiar? I thought you'd be used to it since you've done it before," Medea said as she stepped over to Luna, "But then again, you hadn't travelled in years, not since whatever the hell got you on the islands in the first place."

Luna tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean by that?"

Medea shook her head. "Eh, never mind. If I tried to explain, it'd probably confuse ya and you'd get a headache. At any rate, we'd better go look for that hyperactive kid before he gets into more trouble than he can handle."

Luna nodded in agreement, knowing that Sora could be somewhere in town and wants to make sure he's alright.

As they started to walk around the town and look for someone who could help them, Luna suddenly heard the sound of a little boy's cry of fear, which caught her attention and made her hurry to where the voice was coming from. Sure enough, she discovered that those black creatures she encountered on the islands were surrounding a small donkey in a blue sailor's uniform, and the poor thing was trembling in terror at the sight of those monsters circling around. Not wanting an innocent to be harmed at the hands of those abominations that took what she had treasured, Luna immediately hurried down to help and summoned her Shadow Hands to eliminate all of them as quickly as possible. Once she was sure they were gone, she turned to find out what – or who – this poor fellow is.

"There, there, now…you're alright. Are you okay?" Luna asked softly.

The little donkey nodded, still shaking.

"What's your name?" Luna asked.

"I…um…Alexander…"

"Well, it'll be alright, Alexander. Those monsters are gone right now," Luna reassured him gently, "but we have to keep moving if we don't want to run into more of them. Maybe you know someone who can help me and Medea find a friend of mine?"

Alexander nodded timidly in response. "Mm-hm…Seymour might know. He helped me escape those things when everything was disappearing. Follow me."

"Well, there's something positive about arriving here," Medea commented, "You just made a new friend."

"We'll need all the help we can get at this point, Medea," Luna answered, "Maybe this boy could lead us to this 'Seymour' person…" She paused a moment. "Hmm…why does that name sound so…familiar?"

Without hesitation, Luna followed the child through the street into another part of the town while Medea followed close behind her. All the while, though, they kept their eye out for any sign of Heartless that could make an appearance at any moment.

When they arrived at another part of the town with all the lit lampposts and the flashing lights indicating particular locations, they were quickly caught off-guard when more of those black creatures appeared before them like they had just detected stragglers and are eager to pick them off. This caused Luna to hastily pick up Alexander and hold him close to her as she summoned her Shadow Hands, while Medea formed her Black Claws and readied for a fight for their lives. But before either of them could take action against the monsters, numerous thunderbolts rained down from the sky and destroyed all of the black creatures within seconds. This made the two ladies perplexed as to what just happened and who did it.

"Perhaps it is fortunate that I arrived in time before more refugees are harmed by the abominable Heartless."

Luna and Medea turned around to find a young man coming over towards where they are. They could see that the man's light-blue hair had two long, horn-like locks along with a large bang hanging over his face, and was garbed in a dark blue, ornate robe with red trimmings and a green sash around his waist; in his hand, he was carrying an elaborate staff befitting someone who must've been well-taught in the art of magic.

"We didn't really ask for help, but I think I'll let that slide," Medea said, a bit hurt that she didn't get a chance to strike, "But lemme ask this: are you that Seymour guy?"

The man nodded. "Yes, I am Seymour. I wonder how you learned about me…unless the poor child you have with you told you…" But then, he had a double take the moment he noticed Luna. His calm face changed into a look of surprise. "Luna! Is it really you? I am amazed that you are alive and well."

Luna was perplexed at this. "What do you mean by…?"

But then, when she least expected it, she felt a strong pinch in her head and flashes of lost memories emerged from oblivion to remind her of one of the things she once knew of; she could see the images of a young boy who had grieved over the loss of his mother, and then that same boy talking to her with sympathy and comfort to her at various points in her memory; although it felt rather strange to her, she felt that connection she had forgotten about reform together, reminding her of what she used to know. That was when it made sense as to why she felt that the name was familiar.

"Seymour…is it really you, Seymour?" Luna asked as she recovered, "You were so young then. How did you grow so much?"

"I could say the same to you," Seymour replied as he came closer, "You've grown quite a bit."

"Have you found something, Lord Seymour?"

When they heard the voice of an adolescent boy, all three turned around to find another curious person come over to see what the matter was. The new person appeared to be younger than Luna, with slightly long dark hair, and dressed in a bell-sleeved blouse under a dark tunic, navy shorts, and thigh-high green leather boots.

"I thought I heard you speaking with someone who…" the boy was about to pry for information, but the moment he saw Luna, he had a double take as well. "Luna? How long has it been since I last saw you? Do you remember me?"

At first, Luna had trouble registering who it was. "Um…I don't know. Who are you?"

"I'm Larsa…Larsa Solidor, if it will help you," Larsa replied politely.

The instant she heard that name, another flash occurred in her mind as more memories returned to remind her of what she'd forgotten; this time, though, she saw brief images of a small boy about two or three years old who had so much innocence and curiosity (but she couldn't make out the face of the person with him). Although the new memories restored were few, she could recall how the little boy - no, Larsa - expressed wonder and concern on her well-being that was well beyond his years,

"You both…you were friends. How did I forget you two…?" Luna asked, quite shaken at the returning memories.

Seymour shook his head in uncertainty. "Honestly, I wish I had the answer, but I do not."

"But it would be in our best interest not to remain here, lest we wish to deal with more Heartless trying to ambush us," Larsa pointed out. "Why don't we take our conversation elsewhere while we have the chance? If there is any way we can help you, we would be glad to."

"Now that's something we can agree on," Medea agreed.

"Yes…that would be the best idea," Luna agreed as well.

Despite the bizarre circumstances of the meeting, the girls followed Seymour and Larsa to another part of the town where the lodgings would've been within the previous district they've been in. As soon as all of them are together, Luna thought about asking what she wanted to do the moment they had found themselves in the town.

"Pardon my asking, but can you tell me where we are?" Luna asked.

"You're in what we call Traverse Town. It is a world that came into existence ever since worlds have been disappearing," Seymour explained first, "If you had the chance to look around, you'd be surprised how many refugees there are that have escaped the loss of their world." He turned to Alexander, who was seated next to Luna's leg. "This poor child – Alexander, I'm sure you know his name - is just one of those examples. He arrived in this world after his vanished."

"Well, that's gotta be damn hard on everyone. I'd hate to think of what crap people have gone through," Medea said as she squeezed her arms, "Am I assume you lost yours?"

Larsa nodded sadly. "I'm afraid so. There are others who have escaped, much like us, and they were civilians."

"Well, I am looking for a friend of name. His name is Sora," Luna said, rather anxiously, "When I woke up, he wasn't with me. His hair is brown, wears red, and he's currently got a key-shaped weapon with him…"

"In layman's terms, basically a ditzy kid who got something that he doesn't know worth crap about," Medea added.

The mention of a key-shaped weapon quickly caught the attention of the two, making them both tense and curious as to what their old friend might possibly know.

"So you know about the 'key', Luna?" Seymour asked out of curiosity.

"Well…I never told anyone, but I've seen such things before. But it has been years," Luna replied, "I never thought another keyblade would surface. But maybe if I find Sora, I could ask him how he got it."

"Then we should do that. If we can meet up with Leon and the others, they might lead you to your friend," Larsa suggested.

"What, is that key thing you're looking for needed to fight off those black things that we've been seeing a lot lately?" Medea questioned warily.

"Do you mean the Heartless? Then, yes, it is something we need help against," Seymour answered.

Luna tilted her head. "The…Heartless…? What are they?"

"The Heartless are entities of the darkness, beings that instinctively take hearts from living beings and, subsequently, making their victims become what they are. There are many shapes and sizes of those monsters out there," Larsa explained to her, "However, it is said that those creatures can be destroyed by what we've come to understand as the keyblade. Believe me, it has been quite the topic ever since Leon and the others heard about it."

But then, without a word of warning, the Heartless appeared within the room and started to move around. The instant this happened, Luna immediately summoned her Shadow Hands while Medea reformed her Black Claws again; Seymour picked up Alexander while Larsa readied his weapon for combat.

"Oh, great, it's those damned buggers again!" Medea growled irritably.

"Luna, head for the Third District. Your friend could be there, and he will need help," Seymour instructed her. "We'll hold them off here."

Not wanting to argue about it, Luna took his word to heart and hurried out of the building with Medea to look for Sora. By following where the other Heartless were going, they were able to locate Sora, who just happened to start fighting more Heartless by himself.

"Sora, you're here!" Luna called in relief.

Sora turned around, and beamed the instant he recognized her. "Luna! You're okay, too! I was getting worried about you."

"Hey, cut the chitchat and focus, goofball! We've got other problems out here!" Medea ordered as she charged into the fray.

Sora groaned at this. "Luna, we really need to discuss about your friend when we're done."

"I know," Luna said, knowing that she'll have to clear any misunderstanding.

Before they could take action against the Heartless around them, the sound of a panicked squawking and a yelping cry was heard from above them as two peculiar shadows started to grow from under them. As the shadows got bigger, Medea instantly grabbed Luna and pulled her out of the way, but poor Sora was not so lucky.

But once Luna recovered from this, she found herself instantly surprised to see two more familiar faces that she hadn't seen in ten years; in particular, a duck with a quirky wizard's staff and a dog-like thing with a round shield.

"Donald? Goofy?" Luna asked, surprised to see them.

The duck and dog looked up when they heard her. "Luna!" Then they looked down toward the keyblade on the ground. "The key!"

There was no chance to catch up when the Heartless increased their numbers and are rearing for a fight. That was when everyone gathered together and prepared to work together to take out every single one of them.

With the help of their new allies, Sora and Luna were able to adjust into fighting against enemies that they've never experienced before. Goofy helped provide the brawn to smash the Heartless to bits, while Donald used his magic to either blast them away or to heal their wounds. On Luna and Medea's part, they were able to refresh their skills with their abilities and show that they're still able to shred apart their opponents like they had done years ago.

But after eliminating all of the Heartless, they got themselves a bigger surprise when a giant Heartless in the form of disembodied armor comes clunking down to the ground and then coming together to form a giant fiend that might as well be more dangerous than the lesser beings they've faced.

"Damn it, I thought those emotional creatures were bad enough!" Medea cursed in frustration.

"Sora, we have to work together. Follow my lead, okay?" Luna requested, ready to do what she can to destroy the creature.

"Sure thing, Luna," Sora agreed despite his confusion.

Though the fight was tougher, Luna was able to guide Sora with what she knows about fighting with a keyblade so that he can handle using the weapon more efficiently. Like before, Donald and Goofy provided extra help in the fight while Medea took the liberty to juggle the flying limbs with her absurd maneuverability and her strong slashes against the arms and legs. The battle was hard, but together they were able to defeat the monstrosity.

After that, Luna got a surprise when the duck and dog approached her excitedly, almost as though they missed being around her even though their meeting was very brief all those years ago.

"Donald, Goofy, I can't believe you're both here," Luna admitted in joy and surprise. "How long has it been since I saw you?"

"Luna, we're glad to know you're okay. We were very worried about you," Goofy said as he held her hands warmly.

"Where've you been? The king looked for you everywhere!" Donald scolded, but still had relief in his voice.

"Well…I'm not sure how to explain…" Luna struggled to come up with something to say.

"Hey, look at that! That must be the girl our keyblade wielder was talking about earlier."

"Calm down, Yuffie. It's not like we know her."

"You may not, but we know of her more than you do."

"Sadly, Sir Leon, he does have a point on that. But I promise you'll know soon enough."

Sora and Luna turned to see two more individuals coming to them, along with the new faces Luna already met. One was a young man with shoulder-length dark brown hair and a scar on his face wearing a white shirt and a black jacket and pants, with several belts around his waist and a lion necklace around his neck.

The other person was a girl with short black hair, wearing a short, no-sleeve top and lightly tanned shorts with leather gloves and a blue belt around her waist and her right shoulder, complete with a headband tied around her head, a yellow scarf, and shoes with long thigh-high socks.

"Who the hell are those people?" Medea bluntly questioned.

"These 'people' are the great ninja Yuffie, and the guy right next to me is Squall!" the girl called Yuffie boasted cheerfully, oblivious to the confusion.

The brown-haired man groaned at this. "That's Leon."

When Sora noticed the two others with Leon and Yuffie, he couldn't help asking, "And who are those guys?"

Luna answered when she realized that Sora doesn't know. "Oh…Their names are Seymour and Larsa. I…used to know them, before I forgot...somehow."

"An honor to meet you, Sora," Larsa greeted politely, "Luna mentioned you to us. She was rather worried about you, I will admit."

"It seems we are meeting more interesting individuals by the minute, aren't we?" Seymour noticed.

"Gee, how did you even notice?" Medea replied sarcastically. Then, she turned to Donald and Goofy. "So, what brought you two klutzy goofballs out here? You wouldn't be here unless you had a real good reason."

"The king sent us to look for someone with a key," Donald answered bluntly, "and to stick with him."

"Yup, and he asked us to look for Luna, know where she is and if she's okay," Goofy added.

"You were looking for us?" Sora asked.

"They, too, have been seeking the wielder of the keyblade and the Shadow Mage," Leon explained.

Then, Goofy had an idea. "Hey, why don't you all come with us? We can go to other worlds on our vessel."

Sora hung his head a bit. "I wonder if we could find Riku and Kairi…"

"It would be good if we could find them," Luna agreed sadly, "I'm very worried about them."

"Of course!" Donald said.

Both of them looked at the duck with hope in their eyes.

"Are you sure?" Goofy asked, most likely wondering if Donald was being honest.

But then, their dialogue was hushed just enough that neither Sora nor Luna could hear what was going on; however, Medea did get a suspicious feeling that something's going on that one of them is not telling.

"Luna, Sora, you should go with them," Larsa suggested earnestly.

"Especially if you want to find your friends," Leon agreed.

"Okay…" Sora replied, his head hung sadly again.

"But you can't come along looking like that. Understand?" Donald said when he pointed out the sad looks. "No frowning. No sad face. Okay?"

"Uh-yup, you gotta look funny, like us," Goofy added with a chuckle.

"This boat runs on happy faces," Donald emphasized.

"Happy?" Sora questioned.

Luna noticed for a moment that he was silent as his head was kept hanging down, which made her wonder what he was thinking when they were told how the vessel works. But then, when she least expected it; he lifted his head up to show a ridiculous grin and his eyes straining upwards. At first, no one reacted, but then Donald and Goofy burst out laughing at the sight of the most absurd face they've ever seen; Luna ended up succumbing to a fit of giggles, while Medea slapped her palm against her face as though she couldn't believe what she just saw.

"That's a funny face!" Goofy commented as he kept laughing.

As soon as everyone calmed down, Sora finally agreed, "Okay, we'll go with you guys."

"Donald Duck."

"Name's Goofy."

"I'm Sora."

"You know I'm Luna."

"And you know I'm Medea."

"All for one and one for all," Goofy said.

Sora and Luna joined their palms together with Donald and Goofy, and Medea added hers in as well because she figured she might as well.

* * *

When they were done with their little frolicking, they had to make sure to prepare for the journey to other worlds: Donald offered to teach magic when they get on the ship, and Goofy helped get a few potions and ethers from the shops so they could be ready. After a moment of reprieve, they were just about to leave when they a surprise interception.

"You just arrived here, and now you are already setting out, aren't you?"

Luna and Sora turned around to see Larsa coming over to see them off, with little Alexander following close behind him shyly.

"I was hoping we could at least reconnect while we could," he continued, "but I suppose it will have to wait a while. The safety of the worlds is of highest priority."

"I'm sorry, Larsa. But I'm sure we'll come back soon," Luna replied, "Maybe when we do, I'll introduce you properly. That would be nice."

"Assuming the duck doesn't get too pushy," Medea commented.

"Hey!" Donald yelled from inside the ship.

The little donkey came over and looked up at Luna. "Do you really have to leave?"

Luna bent down to his level, and rubbed his head sweetly. "There now…don't worry. We'll come back soon, Alex. When we do return, we can learn more about you. Maybe I could tell you some things, too. How does that sound?"

When she saw a small smile on his face, Luna couldn't help but smile in return, knowing that she got an approval from the poor boy. It gave her a good reason to want to come back soon.

* * *

Then, once everyone got aboard, Luna certainly found herself amazed at the size of the inside of the ship. Straight ahead of her were the steps to the cockpit where the pilot would drive and passengers ride alongside them, and there were intersecting little halls that lead either to the galley or the cabin rooms; down below is where the engineering would've been going on a typical ship. Donald and Goofy were already getting the ship ready for take-off while Sora was just looking around excitedly.

"Damn, how big is this ship really?" Medea questioned in a perplexing tone of voice.

"It must be magic…or something like that," Luna replied in awe.

"Who cares how this is possible, so long as we have someplace for us to hang around while we travel," Sora interjected eagerly.

"Alright, everyone come on up and take a seat!" Donald called out from above, "We're ready for take-off!"

Taking the duck's words a bit seriously for the moment, Sora and Luna hurried up the ladder to the cockpit with Medea hovering right behind them; then, when everyone took a seat (though for Medea, she chose to reconnect to Luna's shadow), Donald and Goofy started up the engines and, in no time, the ship was blasting off away from Traverse Town towards a new location for them to investigate. The only thing Luna and Sora could do at the moment is hope they might be able to find something that could help them find what they've lost…and maybe other things as well.


	5. Chapter 4: Wonderland

**Be honest with me, dear reviewers and followers. Who wished they could directly threaten the Queen of Hearts and get away with it?**

 **Anyway...HOLY CRAP, this chapter took a long while! Plus, this is the longest chapter I've written to date. I guess the madness of Wonderland was finally getting into my skull...**

 **Guest1: Still curious about Medea and Axel? All in due time...all in due time...**

 **Guest2: You wanted the scene of the villains? Here you go. Hope that sates you for a while.**

 **That being said, it's gonna be a while till I present the next chapter; but in case you're curious...next up will be a familiar world.**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

 **As usual, constructive reviews and compliments are welcome. Rude comments are not.**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave a review, but no flames.**

* * *

Chapter 4: Wonderland

Inside a dark room of what indicates to be originally a castle, a group of individuals were watching the scene unfolding before them; especially when they watched a boy, a woman and a girl inaudibly speaking with a duck and a dog. It was already clear that the Heartless that arrived in Traverse Town had been eliminated, which was a rather disconcerting notion for them.

"That little squirt and the moon child took down that Heartless! Who'd have thought it?" one individual asked.

"Such is the power of the Keyblade. The child's strength is not his own," the second individual agreed, "But what of that little girl? I've never seen her power before."

"Why don't we turn them into a Heartless? That'll settle things quick enough," the third – a female – cackled a bit.

"And the two brats' friends are the king's lackeys!" the fourth noted as he waved his hook. "Swoggle me eyes, they're all bilge rats by the looks of them."

"You're no prize yourself," the fifth individual laughed, "The lady with the creepy hands could be, though."

"Shut up!" the fourth yelled threateningly.

But then another woman's voice interrupted them: "Enough."

From the shadows, a woman in a black robe with a flaring motif and horns on her head emerged to see the situation as well; rather than being frustrated, she was more amused at the change in developments, more so when she heard that the girl with power over the shadows is travelling alongside a boy with a weapon he hardly understands.

"The Keyblade has chosen him, and the Shadow Mage has finally emerged from her hiding place. Will it be they who conquer the darkness?" the woman wondered with intrigue. "Or will the darkness consume them? Either way, they might prove useful…"

* * *

As they sailed through the lanes away from Traverse Town, the two island friends got themselves a bit of a surprise when asked an unexpected question from their new friends, most likely wanting to delve into whatever they've missed since they weren't around when Luna was going through her recovery.

"Say, Sora, would ya mind tellin' us how Luna came to be with you?" Goofy asked out of curiosity.

Sora titled his head in confusion. "Why do you want to know where Luna's been?"

"If anything, they probably wanna know what happened to her," Medea answered for them.

When Luna heard that, she quickly noticed that Sora turned to her, giving her a face that asked 'should I tell them or do you want them to wait on it?'; she turned to Medea to know what she had to say about the matter, but the most her guardian gave her was a shrug that said 'it's your call, not mine'.

As much as Luna wanted her old friends to know where she was and what's she been through, she wasn't exactly favoring the idea of spilling out everything while they are out travelling; if only for the reason that she doesn't any information leaked out at the most inopportune hour. And besides, she didn't want the people who used to know her be kept in the dark about her whereabouts up until now; they would probably want to know as much as any other people she's met before would.

With that decision made, Luna turned to Sora and shook her head 'no' to indicate that she doesn't want to talk about it for now. Thankfully, he understood what message she was conveying to him.

"Sorry, guys, we'd rather not talk about it right now. Luna's not up for it," Sora told them.

"Why not?" Donald asked.

"Well, we're travelling right now, and…if it's okay with you two, could we wait until we get back to Traverse Town and meet up with Seymour again?" Luna requested, "I promise we'll tell you what we can afterwards."

"That's alright with us. Maybe ya just need t' sleep on it for a while," Goofy said, surprisingly willing to comply.

"Are you serious?" Donald questioned his pal.

"Yup. 'Cause we're coming up on the first world," Goofy replied as he pointed out the window of the cockpit.

Everyone looked ahead to where he was pointing, and – sure enough – they could see their first destination just a few leagues away from their current position. From a distance, it looked like a rather zany place with a castle surrounding by hedges in the form of hearts, along with a cottage and wonky trees and flora in a few places. It just made Luna and Sora wonder what could be waiting in such a curious place like that (no pun intended).

Once the gummi ship made a landing, the door was opened so that they could step into that world and take a look around. But there was one thing that suddenly bothered Luna…

"What is this place called?" Luna asked.

"It's called Wonderland, I think," Donald replied as he prepared to step out. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was just wondering…are we stepping on any ground?" she asked.

"What do you mean by…?" Sora was about to ask, until he looked down below his feet.

This made everyone else in turn look down and realize that they were merely standing in mid-air – far above what appears to an abyss miles under their feet! Then, without warning, all of them started to fall down the tunnel until the environment changed into a supposedly endless hallway aligned like the tunnel itself. Sure, there came a point where they started to fall at a slower rate than normal, but what they've been seeing really perplexed them; sometimes they would see furniture hovering around in certain places, a while other objects were hanging upside-down and every which-way. Throughout the fall, Sora and Luna couldn't help looking around in awe at the bizarre place around them, Donald was tapping his foot impatiently, Medea had her arms folded as she tapped her fingers like she's waiting for something to halt their descent, and Goofy took a nap for a little bit.

But their curiosity had to cease for a moment when everyone crashed onto the floor at the bottom and found themselves in a distorted hallway that didn't seem to be structured by regular architects. Then, all of a sudden, a white rabbit dressed in a waistcoat with a pocket watch ran past them, almost as though he was in a distressful hurry for something he had completely forgot about who knows how many hours ago.

"Oh, my fur and whiskers! I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" the white rabbit cried out as he ran, "Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear! I'm here, but I should be there! I'm late, I'm late, I'm late! The queen, she'll have my head for sure!"

As this was happening, everyone stood dumbfounded at what they just saw earlier.

"What was that about?" Sora wondered.

"What do you suppose made the rabbit so worried about being late?" Luna questioned, "Could he be needed to set up a tea party and forgot about it?"

Medea scoffed at that. "Oh, please! Weren't you listening to what he was saying? Didn't he say 'the queen, she'll have my head'? I'd like to know whoever the hell runs this place, and find out whether or not she should be called a queen at all."

Naturally curious as to the situation of the world, everyone followed down the hall to learn what was up that made the rabbit so distressed; but of course, they ran into a few surprises along the way. First of all, when they found a door, they opened it only to find another door followed by another and another door. One at a time, the group crawled through the door and found themselves inside what appeared to be someone's abode (whose it was is anyone's guess, but who gives a darn about it?) As expected of someone's home, it was filled with nearly every bit of furniture that gave the place a rather homey look to it.

But then they got another surprise when they saw the same white rabbit running through a door that looks way too small for any of them to fit in, let alone squeeze through without having any problems.

"How the hell did that happen?!" Medea questioned in a confounded tone.

"How did he get so small?" Sora wondered as he examined the door.

Just then, the doorknob gave out a lazy answer. "No, you're simply too big."

Everyone jolted in shock at what they just saw happen before their eyes; nobody saw a talking piece of a door coming.  
"It talks!" Donald cried out.

Medea frowned at the duck. "No kidding, Sherlock, after what you saw a moment ago."

The doorknob mumbled a bit, before looking at them with sleepy eyes. "Must you be so loud? You woke me up."

"Good morning," Goofy said casually.

"Good night," the doorknob answered grouchily. "I need some sleep."

"Wait a minute, Mr. Doorknob. How can we get small enough to proceed?" Luna asked.

"Why don't you try drinking that bottle…over there?" the doorknob replied before falling asleep again.

Everyone turned around and, to their surprise, found a table right in the middle of the room with two bottles that were filled with red and blue mysterious contents that seemed rather suspicious to the average person.

"That wasn't there when we came in," Medea commented.

Sora looked at the bottles and examined both of the containers, checking to see what they're supposed to do with the containers and the stuff inside them.

"Are there any instructions on the bottles, Sora?" Luna asked.

"Nope, I don't see any. All the labels say is 'Drink Me', nothing else," Sora replied as he scratched his head, "We might as well give them a try, won't we?"

Before anyone could make any protests on this and say that things needed to be thought through, Sora drank from one of the bottles, and all of a sudden began to shrink until he was small enough to possibly fit through any small space.

"It's okay, guys! I'm fine," Sora reassured in a cute voice (due to his size).

Luna, feeling like Sora's right, reached for the bottle and tried it out herself. The moment she took in the strange stuff, she felt herself shrinking until she was at the smallest possible proportion.

"Oh! How peculiar…" Luna commented.

Moments afterwards, Donald, Goofy, and Medea also shrank down in little time until everyone was at the necessary height. While it was rather weird to not be their normal size, what else were they going to do? At the very least, they can keep going through the rest of Wonderland without more trouble – or at least they would, if one problem hadn't already occurred…

"Yo, sleepy door! Ya gonna let us through now?" Medea demanded.

But to their displeasure, the doorknob was already in a deep sleep, and snoring away. How mortifying that had to be after all the trouble they went through to try and move on!

"Hey! Wake up!" Donald shouted angrily to no avail.

"What are we going to do now, Sora? The doorknob is asleep again," Luna questioned, disappointed at their situation. "And we're not getting anywhere."

Sora shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't really know, would I?"

That was when Goofy spoke up from afar and said, "Hey, fellas! Maybe we can get through a hole by the bed over here."

The moment they heard this, everyone turned to find Goofy near the post of the bed and pointing toward a large hole that he must've found when they weren't paying attention. It looked like their luck was about to change after all; but who knows what they might find when they go through the hole?

"Maybe we'll find out where the rabbit went," Luna said as she started to go through. "I do want to know what was making him run in such a hurry."

"Yeah, well, you'd better watch what you say, Luna," Medea warned her, "Curiosity killed the cat, y'know."

"You worry too much, Medea," Sora said with optimistic skepticism.

Everyone slipped through the hole by the bed to find themselves in a huge outdoor courtyard with heart-shaped hedges and architecture that were decorated with heart shapes, leading to what looked to be a court for judging criminals filled with living cards acting like soldiers with their card motif spears at the ready for intruders. At the stand past the guards stood a blonde-haired girl in a blue dress, facing a tall judge's stand where a large woman dressed as a queen sat impatiently (like she was wanting to get something done with immediately rather than waiting any longer).

That was when they caught sight of the white rabbit running up the stairs on the other side of the stands, and blew his trumpet before making his due announcement.

"Court is now in session!" the rabbit announced.

"I'm on trial? But why?" the girl demanded to know.

"Her Majesty, the Queen of Hearts, is presiding!"

From the entrance to the court, everyone could see there's something not pleasant going on. But on Luna's part, she was more focused on the girl supposedly on trial; she couldn't understand what could possibly be going on that requires a trial, or what the point is for that matter.

"Why is she going on trial? What has she done wrong?" she couldn't help asking.

Medea was more focused on the woman seated up high. "THAT woman is the Queen? That fat pig up there?"

At the same time, the Queen of Hearts let out a rude 'hmmph' and declared, "This girl is the culprit. There's no doubt about it. And the reason is…because I say so, that's why!"

"That is so unfair!" the girl protested.

"Have you anything to say in your defense?" the queen demanded.

"Of course! I've done absolutely nothing wrong!" the girl insisted, "You may be the queen, but I'm afraid that doesn't give you the right to be so…so mean!"

This obviously didn't sit well with the short-tempered queen, as she began to growl angrily for the defiance being presented to her so boldly, or speak against her actions for that matter.

"Silence! You dare defy me?!" the queen yelled.

From the entrance to the court, Sora and Luna immediately realized that things over at the so-called trial was getting completely out of hand; not to mention, the way the girl was being wrongfully accused for no good reason didn't sit too well for them. Honestly, they couldn't stand the idea of an innocent being judged without any real indication of any wrong done to the person overseeing the proceedings.

"Hey, guys, we should help her out," Sora said, eager to jump in and help.

"Well, yeah, but…" Donald replied, not exactly sure about that decision.

"We're outsiders, so wouldn't that be muddling?" Goofy asked.

"Meddling!" the duck corrected.

"Yup, and that's against the rules," Goofy agreed.

Luna didn't like that. "But that poor girl is being unfairly judged for no reason. That queen must not have her way, or else more people would suffer under that woman's watch by…well, whatever she does to them."

"C'mon, ya bumbling blockheads! You wanna let that queen behave like a brat who wasn't given a candy?" Medea demanded irritably, "Or do you wanna do something right? Make up your damn minds already!"

As this was going on, the queen made her demands. "The court finds the defendant guilty as charged! For the crimes of assault and attempted theft of my heart! Off with her head!"

The card soldiers, at the command of the short-tempered queen, began to march their way towards the defenseless girl to carry her off for execution. This terrified her as she found herself surrounded.

"No! Oh, no, please!" she cried out in terror.

With that event being the right amount of motivation for the party, Sora and Luna instantly booked it to stop the unnecessary slaughter the horrible monarch was about to get for the wrong reason, with their friends following right behind them.

"Hold it right there!" Sora demanded.

"Stop it! This isn't right," Luna insisted, "This is an unfair trial."

The card soldiers – upon hearing them demand their stop - stepped aside, rather surprised that new people had shown up and stopped the trial from finishing. The girl at the defendant stand was certainly amazed that there were some people trying to stand up to her, while the queen was both mortified and enraged that the court had been interrupted so brazenly.

"Who are you? How dare you interfere with my court!" the Queen of Hearts shouted angrily.

"Oh, let's see…Just a bunch of sensible people who wouldn't senselessly kill people without a legit reason, unlike you!" Medea retorted.

"Excuse me. But we know who the real culprit is!" Sora pointed out, knowing what was really up.

"That's right. It was the Heart—" Goofy was about to give out details, but then blocked his mouth since no one would get what the problem is.

"That girl who you're wrongly judging without reason is not the one you're looking for," Luna insisted strongly.

"That's nonsense. Have you any proof?" the queen demanded.

That part stumped Sora significantly; how and where are they going to get the proof that the culprit was not Alice? They know it was the Heartless, but how can they possibly explain that if the Queen of Hearts might refuse to believe it?

Luna saw the girl being dragged off into a cage next to the queen's judging stand, and was forced to stay locked inside there, helpless to the insanity around them.

"Bring me evidence of Alice's innocence!" the queen ordered, "Fail, and it's off with all of your heads! Gather as much or as little evidence as you need. Report back here until you're ready."

Not sure where to start in their search, Luna wondered how they were going to be able to find the evidence necessary to save the life of Alice. But what she did know was that if something is not done to stop the queen, what are the chances that her guardian will intend on doing something rather aggressive to get the tyrannical monarch to do whatever they want? She didn't want that to happen too soon, or else they'll get into trouble.

"Pardon me? There may be a way to find what you're looking for."

Luna turned in response to the voice of Alice, and approached the cage to find out what she had to offer to help increase their chances of saving her.

"Do you have a way to guide us?" Luna asked.

"The Cheshire Cat might be able to help you. You can probably find him in the Lotus Forest, just past another hole through the garden," Alice explained. "But be careful: there are some dangerous things out there."

Before Luna could ask what she was talking about, the curtain around the cage turned to cover up Alice from sight and a card soldier's spear blocked the way to the cage.

"No speaking with the defendant until evidence is presented!" the soldier ordered.

Offended by this, Luna moved away from the cage and returned to the others to give what information she was able to acquire and know what to do from there.

"Sora, we'd better start looking for any evidence. Why don't we start by looking further into Wonderland?" Luna suggested to the others, "Alice said we should start in the Lotus Forest, and see if a cat can help us."

"Okay…so where is it?" Sora asked.

"She said it's past a hole further from the one we came out from," Luna replied.

"Then, let's start looking," Donald said, walking toward the hole in the bush first.

"Yup, we'd better hurry before someone changes their mind," Goofy agreed.

With an innocent defendant's life on the line and not wanting to waste any time pondering too much, they followed the directions they were given and entered through the hole to find themselves in an enormous forest with giant leaves and flowers, and big tree stumps that anything could seat on at their leisure.

But before anyone could make any more movement, they got themselves a startling surprise when a smiling cat's head suddenly appeared and disappeared at random intervals; this went on for a couple minutes until at the stump near them, a full body formed along with the head, revealing that the creature they were facing was actually a cat colored with light and dark purple stripes with its crazy grin still staying where it is. This had to be the Cheshire Cat that Alice spoke about earlier before they left.

"Who are you?" Donald wanted to know.

"Who, indeed? Poor Alice. Soon to lose her head, and she's not guilty of a thing," the cat answered vaguely.

"Mr. Cheshire Cat, if you know who the culprit is, can you tell us?" Luna asked, hoping to learn something. "Surely, you have an answer that you can provide to us. Alice is in danger, I'm sure you know."

"The Cheshire Cat has all the answers – but doesn't always tell," The Cheshire Cat replied, "The answer, the culprit, the cat all lie in darkness."

"You're really helpful," Medea deadpanned.

Then, the cat vanished into thin air just as Sora called out, "Wait!"

"They've already left in the forest. I won't tell which exit," the cat's voice echoed, "There are four pieces of evidence in all. Three are a cinch to find. The fourth is tricky. Big reward if you find them all."

Donald was not too sure about this information. "Should we trust him?"

Then, the Cheshire Cat reappeared again. "To trust, or not to trust? I trust you'll decide!"

With that, the cat disappeared yet again, leaving Sora and Luna and the others to determine where to go from there.

"Gawrsh, the cat sure loves to speak in riddles," Goofy said, stating the obvious.

"Well, if you ask me, I think we'd better trust what he says and look for those pieces of evidence," Sora suggested, "and the sooner we do that, the sooner we can save Alice from losing her head."

"Still sounds suspicious to me," Donald interjected.

"But Donald, what other choices do we have?" Luna reminded him, "Let's go look for the evidence quickly."

"Well, once we do that, the fat queen had better not double-cross us, or she's gonna get what's coming to her," Medea agreed, rather eager to see the monarch humiliated.

As cautious as they were about the Cheshire Cat's words, it was agreed that they had no other option but to believe what he says for the time being until they have confirmed whether or not there is actual evidence they can use against the queen. It was quite a hectic search in between battling more Heartless that loved to show up when they weren't supposed to and scanning the area for their proof of those same creatures; but in the end, they were able to successfully find the Stench, the Footprints, the Claw Marks, and the Antenna (seriously, how on earth can those things fit in a box? It's just weird).

Just as they had found all four pieces of evidence needed to confront the queen, the Cheshire Cat made an appearance yet again.

"Well, look what you've found. Nice going," the cat applauded.

"Now we can save Alice," Sora said more eager than ever to do the job.

"Don't be so sure! She may be innocent, but what about you?" the Cheshire Cat said cryptically.

Medea groaned at this. "Once again, he maintains ambiguity in his sentences…"

"Mr. Cat, what do you mean?" Luna questioned in confusion.

"I won't tell. But I'll give you something," the cat replied. With a wave of his hand, a small glimmer of blue light suddenly appeared right in front of Sora and Luna before vanishing from sight. "A little something to help you against your foes, and quite useful, indeed. Isn't that generous?"

A little creeped out, the most Sora could say is, "Let's hurry back to the court and get Alice out of the trial."

Not wanting to stick around too long, they were about to take their leave and return to the Queen's court; but Luna got a surprise when the cat suddenly appeared near the hole back to the court like he had business with her.

"My, my, I forgot to give something more to you, my dear. A word of advice to bear in mind," the cat said to her, "There are dark shadows following you everywhere. You'd best watch your step. If you're thinking the Heartless, you're not even close. The shadow that follows you is one that has haunted you for so long, and will not stop until you are found."

Then, the cat vanished after giving her the cryptic warning (by this time, Luna's most likely gotten used to the spontaneous disappearing acts), leaving Luna to ponder what he could possibly be talking about.

"What was he talking about…?" Luna wondered.

"Hell if I know," Medea replied like she wasn't sure either. "C'mon, let's get going before we miss the showdown with the piggish woman."

At the courtyard, though, it was easily noticed that the queen is rather impatient to get on with the trial and do what she wanted to do from the start. At this point, the most Sora and Luna could do is cross their fingers and hope that they have enough proof on hand in order to confirm Alice's innocence once and for all.

"Alright, we've brought our evidence right here," Sora announced.

All four boxes were presented to the queen, each containing all the evidence that clearly indicated a different culprit than what the Wonderland residents were idiotically thinking. But despite this, the Queen of Hearts was not convinced about this.

"Well, that's certainly a lot of evidence, but I'm still not impressed," the queen said, not paying attention to the huge evidence presented to her. "Cards! Bring forth my evidence!"

The card soldiers, at their queen's command, delivered in another box similar to the others and aligned them with the others; but then caused the five containers to get scrambled in the process. Things were just not looking good for the party, more so since the queen was not following their word.

"Hmm, checking all five would be a waste of my time," the queen said, thinking she's got the edge, "All right, then, choose which box you want to present. I'll decide who's guilty based on that evidence."

Sora was appalled at this. "What? After all the trouble of collecting it?"

"You dare object? Then you'll lose your head!" the Queen of Hearts bellowed. "Now choose! One box!"

As Donald and Goofy watched from the side, Sora, Luna and Medea were forced to figure out what to do next to stop the monarch's unfair tactics. How were they going to get past this problem if they can't tell what's really in the boxes, and for that matter how can they know what the queen put in as her 'evidence' for the trial?

"Dammit, I'm really beginning to dislike this queen more and more," Medea growled angrily, "If she does something that crosses the line one more time, she's really gonna pay the price for her unjust tyranny…"

"Now what are we going to do? We have to save Alice, and yet this…" Sora was at a loss for words about the situation. "This is just completely unfair! How are we going to save Alice like this?"

Then, Luna decided to take matters into her own hands. "Sora…let me handle this. I think I know how we can turn this trial against her."

Before any questions or protests could be brought out, Luna walked down from the defense stand and paced around each box as though she were looking for something. Everyone watched with different receptions, some of which were puzzled as to what she was doing while one other silently wanted to know what she was stalling for. But the quiet girl used her Shadow Mage powers and focused on searching through the boxes to find something that can give a clue; but then, when she felt a dark aura around one near her to the right, Luna opened the box and a Heartless emerged from the container.

The queen, horrified at what she saw, cried out, "What in the world was that?"

"That, your Majesty, is the evidence. That fiend is what really went after you," Luna announced.

"You see? That proves our point. Alice is innocent," Sora added, showing that he's done with the queen.

The tyrannical queen, angered that she had been beaten in her game, yelled out, "Silence! I am the law here! Article 29: Anyone who defies the queen is guilty!"

"That's crazy!" Donald squawked furiously.

"Seize them at once!" the queen commanded.

As most of the card soldiers began to make their advance at their selfish monarch's command, one of them hurried over to the crank tower and used the mechanisms to lift up the cage to an unreachable level, not allowing the party the chance to open it at the first opportunity.

"Sora, we have to get the cage lowered!" Luna cried.

"Hang on, Alice! We're almost there!" Sora called out, hoping she's still there.

Needless to say, despite the efforts of the gang to even touch the crank tower, that proved to be difficult because there were so many card soldiers trying their very hardest to stop them from achieving their goal. It certainly didn't help that the Queen of Hearts kept barking orders at her soldiers to stop them from using the tower and threatening to chop someone's head off if the job wasn't done well enough; in fact, there were times where she would want Sora or his friends to have their heads removed.

Eventually, though, all this got Medea so fed up with everything the queen's tried to do to thwart them that she decided to take matters into her own hands and put an end to this insanity.

"Alright, that does it!" she growled.

With just one burst, Medea jumped out of the crowd of cards and landed right on the queen's stand. This actually managed to startle the monarch, since she didn't figure that someone would have the nerves to get anywhere near her.

"What are you doing here?! Get out of – !" the Queen of Hearts was forced to shut her mouth when Medea held her Black Claws against where her neck would most likely be.

"Keep your mouth shut if you want to stay alive," Medea hissed irritably. Then, she looked up towards the cards and raised her voice loud enough that no one can oppose her. "Alright, you flat-minded imbeciles! You make one more move against Sora and Luna, and the queen will lose HER head! Now **LOWER THE DAMN CAGE**!"

Upon seeing that their queen was being threatened if the request is not fulfilled, the cards immediately scrambled to the crank tower and hurriedly turned each of the wheels as fast as they could so that the cage could be lowered. Then, in record time, the curtain-covered cage lowered down so that Sora and Luna could hurry over to make sure that their innocent defendant is still okay with Medea jumping down since she was done with the queen. But when they pushed the curtains back, everyone – even the people in the court – were shocked to find that Alice had vanished without a trace!

"Where is she?" Sora questioned in shock.

"She must've gotten kidnapped while we were fighting," Donald guessed.

From above, the queen shouted to her card soldiers, "Fools! Find the one who's behind this! I don't care how!"

From there, the card soldiers frantically began running through the gardens to search for Alice (obviously fearing the idea of losing their heads if they failed to deliver her at any costs). That was enough of a sign for Sora and Luna to leave and try to find her as well; that, and leave the courtyard so they could avoid being around the Queen of Hearts any longer.

"We'd better go find Alice before we get into any more trouble," Sora said nervously.

"I don't think we'll be coming back to Wonderland after this," Luna agreed, "especially after what happened with the queen back there."

"Hey, in my defense, I was getting irritated at the stupid fat woman-child back there and I wanted her idiocy to stop," Medea reminded defensively, "Though, admittedly, it'd make my day if someone had the guts and the brains to see that queen overthrown. That'd be something I'd have loved to see."

"Gawrsh…no wonder you're mad at the Queen," Goofy commented.

Just as they had left the courtyard and reentered the Lotus Forest, the group got themselves a surprise when the Cheshire Cat made his appearance once more; by this point, it's become pretty clear that this mischievous feline is not going to quit it anytime soon, and he's showed up for a reason only he knows.

"Hello again, Mr. Cat…" Luna simply said.

"Have you seen Alice?" Donald asked.

"Alice, no. Shadows, yes!" the cat replied.

Goofy tilted his head in confusion. "Where did they go?"

The Cheshire Cat answered vaguely, "This way? That way? Does it matter? Left, right, up, down! All mixed up thanks to the shadows!" But the cat wasn't done yet. "Step deeper into the forest to the deserted garden. You might find shadows in the upside down room!"

Then, as per the usual, the cat vanished from sight.

Medea groaned at this. "Again, he speaks in riddles. Doesn't that cat ever speak straightly?"

"I don't think he will, Medea. But what could he be talking about?" Luna wondered.

"He did say to step further into the forest to reach a garden," Sora answered, "So…let's go look for the garden and find that upside-down room the cat spoke about!"

"Luna, does this kid ever think about what he's doing?" Medea asked her master, exasperated at his leaping before looking action.

"Unfortunately, Sora is very impulsive. He was always that way with almost everything, even in those play fights," Luna replied as she shook her head.

Left with no other choice but to follow Sora (if only to keep him from doing anything too rash afterwards), the gang traversed deeper into the forest to find what the cat spoke about before; sure enough, they were able to find a house within a garden that had a huge table with a set of chairs waiting for guests to have a seat and join in what seems to be a tea party. But they didn't really have the time to think about having a tea party; they needed to find the cat.

When they opened the door to the bizarre house, the party got themselves a surprise when they found that the entire room seemed to have flipped around in a dizzying fashion, and it was especially weird because certain pieces of furniture were somehow staying where they were without falling off anywhere.

"Gawrsh! Everything's gone all…every which-way!" Goofy exclaimed in surprise

"But where's that cat?" Donald asked while tapping his feet.

Just as the duck asked that, the Cheshire Cat appeared before them, standing casually without a care about the wacky environment.

"They're hiding somewhere. And the momeraths outgrabe," the cat said, "Want to find the shadows? Try turning on the light."

"How do we do that? Where do we turn on the lights?" Luna asked, puzzled at the riddle.

The cat grinned. "You tell me, my dear."

Yet again, the cat disappeared on a whim, leaving them to solve the puzzle on their own.

For once, Sora had to groan at the constant riddles being thrown at them. "Man, that cat is really giving me a headache…"

"I wouldn't blame you on that, Sora. It can be tough to know what someone is thinking," Luna agreed sympathetically.

"Sora! Luna! Look out there!" Donald suddenly called as he pointed his fingers out towards the room, "There's lamps in the room! And they're not lit."

Luna and Sora looked over where their friend was pointing, and – sure enough – they could see a group of glass lamps scattered around in certain places, obviously left unlit for who knows what reason and ready to be used for whoever was supposed to be living inside the quirky house.

"Now we're talking! Let's get down there, and start lighting all the lamps!" Sora exclaimed excitedly.

"How are we going to do that? They're in several weird places," Luna questioned.

"Isn't it obvious? We go all around the place and find a way to reach them," Sora replied, eager to get to work.

"That could help you give a lesson in magic while we're here," Donald agreed, knowing that Sora needs to expand his capabilities.

"Bear in mind, it's his first time hearing and learning about magic. Don't be too hard on him," Luna requested.

"I sure hope he doesn't," Medea agreed.

True to the duck's word, the search for the lamps and lighting them all up certainly did help give Sora some coaching on how to use magic – in particular, for the moment, fire – under the right circumstances. However, it did take a lot of dizzying searches for where and how they were going to reach each of the lamps in order to light them up as the cat told them to. When they did finish the job, though, they got a visit from the Cheshire Cat, who seemed to be rather pleased that they had done what he expected them to do.

"All the lights are on. You'll see the shadows soon," the cat said, seeming rather amused. "They'll arise in this room, but somewhere else. The shadows might go after the doorknob, too."

Once the cat disappeared with those words left in their minds, Luna couldn't help but wonder what he could be talking about. There were many doors they've encountered, some of which had doorknobs; so what could he mean by…That was when it hit her like a brick wall against her face: the doorknob within this very room! What other doorknob could a Heartless go after?

"Sora, we have to find a way back to normal ground!" Luna exclaimed in horror, "The doorknob…I think that sleeping doorknob could be in danger!"

Sora was dumbfounded at this. "Are you sure, Luna?"

Luna nodded. "Yes, I am sure."

Not wanting to make any arguments against her, Sora allowed Luna to take the reins in the group and follow her back to the floor of the bizarre room to find the Cheshire Cat waiting patiently for them like he knew they were coming.

"The shadows should be here soon. Are you prepared for the worst? If you're not, that's too bad!" said the Cheshire Cat.

All of a sudden, without a single warning of the danger coming their way, a towering Heartless landed on the floor of the room. It was a colossal creature that gave off the impression of something that should belong to a circus, what with its wonky arms and colorations of black and red with touches of yellow here and there; to make the matters much worse, the wacky arms were busily juggling what appeared to be sticks of some sort.

"What is this, a circus performer?" Sora asked, having trouble comprehending its appearance.

"You tricked us!" Donald shouted angrily at the cat.

The mischievous feline didn't seem fazed by any of the tension. "Tricked you? Nothing of the sort. The Cheshire Cat gave you something useful, didn't he?"

In the midst of the argument the duck was having with the cat, the new Heartless – actually called the Trickmaster – kept on juggling its sticks until it approached the fireplace within the room and lit the very sticks it was holding on fire. This caused everyone to be more worried about their situation than they necessarily had to be.

"Here it comes!" Luna warned.

"I got it! Fire!" Donald shouted a spell, and shot out a fireball form his staff.

Unfortunately, that proved to be a bigger problem for the team because the fire spell not only didn't affect the juggling trickster, but it also made the flames on the sticks much worse as it pounded the ground with its burning weapons and tried to set them on fire.

"Damn it, you stupid duck! Didn't you even pay attention to the sticks in its hands?!" Medea yelled angrily.

"How was I supposed to know that the sticks were already burning?!" Donald argued back.

At first, it seemed like the fight was not going on their favor; and it didn't help because of the Trickmaster's aggressive use of its sticks in its hands. But just when things were about to get worse, a little hint was given that neither keyblade wielder nor Shadow Mage expected to hear from their eccentric bystander.

"Have you tried using what I gave you? Perhaps it might make things easier for you," the cat suggested.

Fortunately, Luna picked up what the cat was talking about, and remembered that he did mention giving them something useful; but what was it? There was only one way to find out.

"Sora, follow my lead with your blade," Luna instructed him.

"Okay…whenever you're ready," Sora agreed.

Within that moment, Luna summoned her Shadow Hands as she normally would; but this time, she had them positioned in a way that gives off the impression they're about to fire out something from their fingers. _Concentrate, concentrate…you've seen that blue color, so you should know what that means_ , she thought.

As she was doing this, Sora positioned his keyblade like he's about to shoot something out of it, even though it wasn't a weapon meant to fire out a projectile.

And then…

"Freeze!" Sora shouted as Luna called out, "Go, Blizzard!"

In mere moments, the keyblade and the Shadow Hands unleashed blasts of freezing cold flakes of ice at the Trickmaster, causing not only the sticks to go out in smoke, but it also made the monster double over and recoil from the impacts of the spells being fire out at the same time. From there, Sora was able to dive in and give the thing a major wallop with ease while Luna continued to use that technique to keep the creature from doing any more harm to their comrades; it didn't take long for that fiend to succumb to the might of its opponent.

However, all that noise from the battle reached the doorknob as it rudely woke up from its sleep when it really didn't want to.

"What a racket. How's a doorknob to get any sleep?" the doorknob yawned.

Just as the doorknob started to yawn, though, everyone saw a bright light form inside its mouth into what looked like a keyhole and went over to inspect it. Then, to Sora's surprise, the keyblade reacted to the development and let out a beam of light towards the keyhole until a clicking sound was heard. Luna heard this quite clearly, and when she used her powers to search for any signs of the shadows lurking around, she couldn't find anything dangerous within; that meant this world was as safe as it could get.

"What was that?" Donald asked, puzzled at this.

"You hear that? It sounded like something closed," Sora wondered.

But what caught Goofy's attention was when a strange colored block appeared during the locking process.

"Look at this. It looks like a Gummi block," Goofy said as he examined it, "It doesn't look the others. No, sir."

"I'll hold on to it," Donald offered as he took the block for safekeeping until it can be examined later.

The Cheshire Cat appeared one last time, and gave a round of applause to the group down below, almost as though he enjoyed the show.

"Splendid. You're quite the hero," the cat said, impressed at everything, "If you're looking for Alice, she's not here. She's gone! Off with the shadows, into darkness."

Boy, was Sora disappointed at that information. "No…"

Luna shook her head. "How can that be…? Where was she taken?"

Medea clenched her fists. "Damn it! Whoever took her was a sneaky rat."

"Let's go back to our gummi ship. We might find her in another world," Donald suggested, trying to reassure Sora and Luna.

As everyone started to make their way back to the ship, Luna couldn't help but wonder what was going on this time around. She understood that the Heartless were a dangerous threat to the worlds, but how could a specific person disappear without any indication of turning into a Heartless themselves? For that matter, what happened to Alice that caused her to get kidnapped? If only she knew what the reason was…


	6. Chapter 5: Olympus Coliseum Revisit

**I seem to be getting more guest reviews than ordinary reviews lately. Oh, well, them's the breaks.**

 **Whoever sees this chapter, hope you like nonetheless.**

 **Constructive comments are welcome. Rude comments are not.**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave a review, but no flames.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Olympus Coliseum

After the disappointing knowledge given in Wonderland, Luna and Sora made their journey again to find other worlds to look into while searching with Donald and Goofy. But things seemed to be looking up more when Luna actually caught a glimpse of one world that certainly rang a familiar bell to her, especially when she was able to recognize the colossal statues that lead into a magnificent building inviting warriors to test their might and earn the right to be called champions.

"That place…I know this world," Luna said eagerly.

Goofy turned to her with curiosity. "Are ya sure, Luna? What is that world?"

"It's Olympus Coliseum. I've been there before," she replied, "That is the place where warriors test their might and participate in combat games to prove their worth."

That was when Medea emerged from the shadows to see for herself. "Well, I'll be damned. Looks like there's one familiar world we've found – well, at least, on our part."

Sora, on the other hand, caught on Luna's description and instantly got excited. "Are you serious? Participating in a coliseum? That's sound like something I'd want to do! Let's go check it out."

Not wasting any more time and without any argument, the ship sailed to the coliseum and landed near the entrance into the new world. For Luna, it gave her a lot of nostalgic feelings as she took in the things she used to know; it certainly reminded her of when she was there with Aqua – how they went through the games together, how they met Hercules and his trainer, and how they had to deal with the cheater of an underworld god – and got a chance to learn more of her potential, or at least what few things she did.

But then again, it did make her wonder how Phil and Hercules are doing ever since she left; after all, who knows how much has changed in the arena since she was last there?

When they entered the vestibule of the coliseum, the party found a short man-goat at work with the board; obviously, he didn't realize that there was company coming in right behind him. Sora was the only person who took the initiative to try and get his attention.

"Umm…" Sora was about to ask a question.

"Good timing. Give me a hand, will ya?" the satyr said, not paying attention. "Move that pedestal for me. I gotta spruce things up for the games."

Luna and Sora looked over toward that large pedestal left by the torch over to their right.

"…I don't remember seeing that thing before," Luna commented.

"Yeah, well, better do what that guy said," Sora said as he stepped in to move the block.

Medea snorted at that notion. "Good luck on that. I'm pretty sure you're gonna be sweating bullets afterwards."

But the boy didn't pay any attention to Medea's words as he tried and tried to push the pedestal aside; Luna merely watched as he showed that he's just not able to do that on his own. After a few minutes, Sora finally gave up on it and backed away.

"This thing weighs a ton!" he noticed.

"I thought so…I don't think I'd be able to do it either," Luna said as she examined the size of the pedestal.

Sora walked over to the satyr and told him, "It's way too heavy."

That got a reaction out of him. "What? Too heavy? When did you become such a little…" He turned around only to find Sora standing there. "Oh. Wrong guy. What're you doing here?" He jumped down from his platform. "This here's the world famous Coliseum – heroes only! And I got my hands full preparing for the games. So, run along, pipsqueaks!"

"We came here because Sora has never seen a coliseum, Mr. Goat," Luna replied.

"Hey, who you calling Mr. Go –" But then the satyr looked up at her. "Luna?! Is that really you? Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes! Look at you, all grown into a woman, no longer a short little kid. Yer guardian's with ya, isn't she?" Medea's wave spoke for itself. "Yeah, I thought so. Ha! What a surprise!"

"At least this Phil guy's happy to see ya," Medea commented.

As Phil was expressing his joy at seeing an old familiar face, Sora, Donald and Goofy looked over toward Luna with perplexed looks that asked 'is this someone you know'. She simply gave a small nod that answered their question, knowing that none of them knew certain people that she did years before.

"Really, how long's it been, nine or ten years?" Phil asked.

"It has been ten years, I would think. I almost thought nothing has changed…" Luna replied, "Well, since we're here, could you perhaps be considerate and explain to Sora what the place is about. I only gave him a summary, so…I thought you could tell him more."

"Alright, alright, here's the rest of it: You already know this place is for heroes, but there's one more tidbit to it: Heroes are coming from all over to fight ferocious monsters right here in the Coliseum," Phil explained.

"You got heroes standing right in front of you," Donald said proudly.

"Yup. He's a hero chosen by the Keyblade, and Luna is right there with him!" Goofy added.

"And we're heroes, too," the duck couldn't help saying.

But the satyr was not convinced at their proclamation. "A hero? That runt?"

Then, he burst out laughing like all of that was total joke; naturally, Sora and the others didn't take it too well.

"What's so funny? I've fought a bunch of monsters!" Sora insisted.

"Look, kiddo, just because you've fought a bunch of monsters doesn't automatically mean you're a hero," Medea objected, speaking from experience.

Once Phil calmed down, he went back into his usual demeanor. "Hey, if you can't even move this…" He started to try and push the pedestal as hard as he could. "…you can't call yourself…a hero!"

"Unfortunately, Sora, he's right about that in a way," Luna agreed, knowing from her experience, "If you really want to be called a hero, it takes much more than strength against danger. A real hero also has to have a heart to care for others and do what's right."

"Y'see, Luna's got more knowledge on that than you do. But if you're that determined to call yourself one, then let's see what you can do," Phil said, implying that he wants to see what they're capable of.

That was when Phil led them into the arena where a bunch of barrels had been set up to prepare would-be combatants for anything that comes along. It became pretty clear that this was the moment to prove themselves worthy of his time.

"What you gotta do is bust these barrels in record time," Phil said from the entrance, "Let's see how efficiently you can do that, kid."

"No problem! I'll show you what I'm made of!" Sora said confidently.

From the sidelines, Luna and Medea watched as Sora gave it his all in his trial and smashed as many barrels as he could with the keyblade on him. Funny thing is, she remembered how she and her guardian were last there and were freely able to participate in the games without going through the training procedures that they would've done; though to be fair, it was Aqua who declined the training because she had experience, and Luna didn't go through it because she had already had experience in combat somewhat due to learning a bit from her grandfather and battling the Unversed years before.

Her reminiscing stopped when she noticed that Sora was finished with his training, having smashed his set of barrels.

"You ain't too bad, kid. There's something interesting," Phil said, somewhat impressed. Then, he turned to Luna. "Alright, Luna, you have a go at it. Let's see if you're still game."

She tilted her head in confusion and pointed at herself. "Me? What for?"

"Look, I know you got more experience, but I just wanna make sure you still got the stuff to fight," Phil insisted, "Let's see if you can still use those magic hands of yours right, and I'll say whether you need improvement."

Knowing there's no point in arguing with him, Luna complied. "Alright…if you insist on checking with me, I'll do what you ask."

The moment Luna stepped up to demolish the barrels as she was told to, her Shadow Hands emerged around her and, at her subtle command, each one she summons either destroyed the obstacles within her vicinity or would manifest from another part of the arena to smash the barrels just outside of her own reach. Once she finished, she could tell that the satyr was impressed that she hasn't lost her touch, but seemed to be expecting a little more from her.

"Nice to know ya haven't lost your skills there," Phil commented, "but ya could use more variety in yer lil' arsenal. Maybe some magic could spice things up for ya."

When Luna thought back on her use of that ice spell, she knew he was right. "Well…I hadn't thought about it."

"Looks like we're headed for the games," Sora said confidently.

"Afraid not," Phil answered bluntly.

Sora and Donald didn't take this news too well. "Why not?!"

"Two words: you…guys…ain't…heroes!"

"That's four words, goat-man," Medea muttered.

Perplexed at this, Luna asked, "Why aren't we allowed to participate in the games, Mr. Goat? Have there been changes in the rules while I was away?"

"Yeah, there have been some changes made since you left. You and your pals from before may've been able to get in easy, but things have changed," Phil explained to her, "If you wanna get in and join, you gotta get a pass. No exceptions!"

"Is he serious about this?" Sora questioned Luna.

"C'mon, let's take things outside before someone starts losing their cool here," Medea suggested as she started to walk away.

Not wanting a feud to stir while they're there, everyone left the vestibule to discuss about the coliseum's affairs. It was pretty clear that Sora and Donald were quite steamed about the situation, mainly Sora's disappointment in not being allowed to join the games and Donald disliked the satyr's skepticism. On Luna's part, she couldn't help wondering what she had missed when she was away.

"Man, I can't believe that goat won't let us in," Sora sighed in displeasure. "Where are we going to even get our ticket in? I mean, how were you able to sign up for the fights anyway, Luna?"

"Honestly, I was able to get in because a friend thought it'd be okay if I joined with another person," Luna replied, "That, and…well…I was a little stubborn back then. I was only four when I was last here."

"Gawrsh, maybe he didn't want people like you getting hurt in there, and that's why we can't get in like ya did before," Goofy speculated.

"I dunno if that was the case. Yeah, you know Luna was able to get away with fighting in the arena as a kid," Medea commented, "but that was 'cuz she got me and Aqua with her to watch her back. Besides, Luna was still getting used to her powers."

"Rather a stubborn old goat, wouldn't you say?"

While the rest of the gang were startled at the sudden voice behind them, Luna and Medea jolted and turned around to find another familiar face…but not one they wanted to run into. It was none other than the god of the underworld, Hades. Oh, Luna certainly remembered back when she first met the devilish god and how he caused a lot of trouble for her and her friends there, especially when he completely barged in on the games; and who could ever forget the fiery hair and colorless features? She certainly couldn't, even if she tried to.

"Who are you?" Donald questioned.

"That's Hades…he's someone you don't want to be around," Luna answered with distrust in her voice.

"Oh, hell no, not that creepy freak again," Medea groaned while gritting her teeth.

"Whoa, hold on there, all of you. Wait, let me guess: you want to enter the games, right?" Hades guessed, speaking like a businessman. "Well, get a load of this."

That was when, out of nowhere, a slip of paper appeared in his hand and presented before the eyes of the astounded boy (and the suspicion of the girl and her guardian).

"Oh, great, there goes that god, acting like a con artist," Medea growled.

"A pass?" Sora asked.

"It's all yours. Good luck, kids. I'm pulling for you, little shorty," the god replied, about to walk away.

Luna stared at the underworld god suspiciously. "What are you really up to, Hades? You know what happened the last time you barged in when you weren't wanted…"

"Nice to see you again after so long, moon child. C'mon, little lady, I was just doing a little favor. In fact, didn't I hear right that the old goat changed a lot of things in your absence? Talk about a slow head's-up," Hades replied as he circled around Luna like he's on the prowl. "And besides, you're here along with that squirt and you've got your harpy with you, so what're you worried about? I'm just being a nice guy; you know that, don't you? Admit it."

"Yeah, sure you were nice. Especially when you tried to kill us, Baldy," Medea deadpanned.

That got a reaction out of him. "I'M NOT BALD! Oy vey, what is with you, harpy? Insulting and mocking anyone you see, what's your problem?"

"Medea, let's go. We don't want to be around him again, not like this," Luna suggested, not wanting to dawdle around.

Reluctantly, her guardian grunted in agreement and turned to walk away; but not without giving a gesture that said 'we'll be watching'. Neither of them knew that the underworld god has a lot of plans for the games, and it will definitely be different than last time…

* * *

Inside the vestibule, Luna came back in to find Phil quite surprised that they have an entry pass for the games. She could tell that Sora felt triumphant, knowing that this meant they were going to enter the games after all; still, she couldn't help feeling a bit worried about the situation, especially after their untimely encounter with Hades of all people (or gods).

"Can we enter the games now?" Sora asked eagerly.

Reluctantly, Phil complied with the request. "Well…I suppose so. We'll start with the preliminaries. You all ready for this?"

"So, you finally happy that you're gonna get yourself into trouble?" Medea deadpanned.

"Lighten up, Medea! We're going in," Donald brushed off her comments.

But Luna had something to say on the matter. "Sora, please don't get careless. At the very least, stay close with me through the matches."

As much as Sora wanted to tell her that he'll be fine and maintain his bravado, he knew that Luna was just concerned for his safety and that she did have more experience on the combat field despite not having done so in years. Though, he had to agree that it would be better to just do what she says; perhaps by following her lead in the arena, he could learn how to handle himself as much as she can even though her methods are different from his. Besides, maybe she could show him how to battle enemies properly along the way.

"Don't worry, Luna. So long as we stick together, we'll be okay," Sora reassured her with a grin. "I did say you're not alone on this, didn't I?"

She couldn't help giving a small smile at his assurance. "Why did I have the feeling you'd say that, Sora?"

Once inside the arena, the five friends found themselves in a match with a group of Heartless and had to work together to beat them in each round. After a round or so, Phil came out to check how they are doing.

As he was, a young man started to pass by them without a word towards them. Luna could make out that the stranger had spiky blonde hair and blue eyes, and was wearing a red tattered cape over a dark top and pants held together by belts around the waist and legs along with armor plates on both sides; there was a single shoulder pad and unusual gloves on him, and combat boots on his feet. It was easy to tell that he could be a very tough warrior, but for what reason was he here?

Phil noticed where they're looking and noted, "Something tells me he'll be a tough one to beat. Who knows, maybe you'll end up facing him."

"Wouldn't that be something?" Sora commented.

"Careful what you say, buster, or you'll have your ass handed to you later," Medea warned.

"What could he be doing here…? There must be a reason for taking part in all this," Luna wondered quietly.

* * *

While the matches were still going on, nobody within the arena suspected that the very man they saw earlier was having a conversation with Hades in the shadows. It certainly went to show that there was something going on behind the scenes that none of them suspected (although would've confirmed Luna's strong suspicions).

"That little punk and the moon child are your next opponents, okay?" Hades was instructing the stoic character. "Now, don't blow it. Just take them out."

The blond man stared at him. "The great god of the underworld is afraid of a kid and a little girl? Sorry, but my contract says –"

"I know! You think I don't know? I wrote the contract!" Hades interrupted irritably, "I know it says you're only required to kill Hercules in this tournament. But you've got to fight the kids to get to him. Come on. Hey, it's just like that old goat said: Rule 11: It's all just a game, so let loose and have fun with it. I mean, a casualty or two along the way is no big deal, right?"

The man looked over toward where the two teens were for a moment, taking in who he's dealing with. Where he was standing, he was sure that the boy might be an opponent that has to be beaten no matter what…but what of the girl? She didn't seem like anything dangerous. If anything, the girl looked more like a harmless child than a monster to be reckoned with. He couldn't help questioning what on earth she was doing there among the fierce competitors; it was almost as though he subconsciously feared the idea of a hurting a woman for a reason he didn't clearly know.

Knowing that their conversation was over, he stepped out of the shadows anyway to prepare for the next matches until his opponents are determined. But the moment he was gone, Hades had other thoughts on his mind, and anyone would know that it has nothing to do with playing a fair game.

"Geez, stiffer than the stiffs back home," he muttered, "Still, suckers like him are hard to come by…"

From behind Hades under the cover of darkness, three low growls echoed within the area, like that of an enormous dog eagerly awaiting a chance to make a hunt for the kill…

* * *

Meanwhile, Luna and Sora were continuing to proceed through the matches with their friends and taking down the Heartless along the way; things were looking up pretty well for them despite the differences between the handlings of the newcomers and the more experienced members of the team. With Luna's help, Sora was able to learn how to properly face off against enemies so that he wasn't swinging around too recklessly or charging in without knowing the strengths and weaknesses of his foes.

They had just finished the next round before the next match can be determined; while Sora and the others were waving to a cheering crowd, Luna was looking around the area with curiosity until the sight of something silvery caught her eyes; this caught her off-guard and made her turn around to get a better look – only to find that the thing she initially saw disappeared as quickly as it came.

 _What did I see there? I'd know that silver color anywhere_ , she thought to herself. _Unless if…Wait, could it really be…?_

She pushed the thoughts in the back of her mind as she returned to the vestibule, thinking that it would be best to focus on what she was doing right now and worry about it later. Since they were nearing the final match, the group took a moment's rest to prepare their magic and regain their strength.

"Hey, are you okay, Luna? You're looking a bit distracted," Sora asked in concern as he handed her a potion.

"I'm alright, really. I guess…I'm just nervous," Luna lied as she took the potion.

"Say, you're better than I thought, kids! Wish he was here to see this," Phil said in admiration of what he saw thus far.

Sora turned to him in confusion. "Who?"

"Hercules. He's a hero if there ever was one," Phil answered, "Too bad he's off visiting his father."

"Oh…Hercules…I wonder how much he has changed," Luna said in reminiscence. "I'm sure he's grown quite a bit, maybe become quite a man."

"You know of him?" Sora asked out of curiosity.

"Well, yes…I met him once years before. He was training to become a hero. He was such a nice person, and he was very determined," Luna replied, if only to sate his curiosity. "He once told me how he wanted to become a true hero. I wonder if he has gotten closer to his goals now…it'd be nice to see what he's become now."

"Who knows? Maybe we'll see him once we wrap things up in this tourney," Medea added, trying to give a little optimism.

After a moment's reprieve, the final match has finally begun; and it's become clear that their opponent is undoubtedly the blond stranger they saw before. But he's come armed with a giant sword covered in tattered bandages, and judging from his stance, he means to get down to business and bring on the fight.

However, compared to the fights they went through before, the five got themselves a big shock when they began to battle against this stoic swordsman. Not only was he fast enough to keep up with them, but he was also able to deal a lot of punishment on them at a moment's notice. To make the matter go from bad to worse, while the new friends were easily pummeled to the ground, Sora, Luna and Medea were having some trouble keeping the guy from doing too much damage against them.

Before long, Sora was downed and barely able to keep on standing. The swordsman, seeing an opening, was about to raise his sword on him when Luna hurried over and put herself right in between them with the intention of keeping things from going too far – to the horror of her Shadow Guardian.

"Stop! Stop it!" Luna cried out as she stood in front.

The instant she stood in defense, the swordsman stopped in his tracks and backed away like he had caught doing something he wasn't proud of. As much as it scared the poor girl that she almost got killed, she was relieved that she was able to stop the match before someone crossed the line.

"What the hell were you doing?!" Medea shouted angrily, "You mind explaining why you were trying to beat the daylights out of us, mister!"

But before the warrior could explain himself, a growl was heard behind them. When they shifted their attention to the source, everyone was shocked to find a gigantic, three-headed black dog snapping its teeth and rearing for an attack. To everyone's fright, the enormous canine stomped onto the warrior and began to prepare to go after the next prey nearby.

"Oh, right, there's one rule I almost forgot: accidents happen," Hades said from the sidelines as he walked away.

"Damn it, I knew that creep was up to good!" Medea growled bitterly.

Just when the giant dog was about to pounce down and attack the stunned party, an unexpected rescue occurred when a man rushed right in and used his inhuman strength to keep the ferocious beast at bay to the best of his efforts. When Luna was able to get a better view, she was able to recognize the bright hair and herculean strength of Hercules, but could see that he had grown up significantly and has gotten bigger muscles and was dressed more like that of a proud warrior unlike years before.

"It's you…!" Luna exclaimed as Phil shouted, "Herc!"

"Phil, get them out of here!" Hercules answered as he struggled to keep the beast from going any further.

"But, what about that…" Luna was about to ask about the helpless warrior below the dog.

"C'mon, let's go!" Donald called as he started to run.

"Hurry!" Goofy added.

Left with no other choice, Sora, Luna, and Medea were forced to run back to the vestibule for safety with Phil while they had the chance to save themselves.

"What the hell was that thing?" Medea wanted to know, still ticked about that trick Hades pulled.

"That was Cerberus, the guardian of the underworld. Herc should be able to handle him," Phil answered. But then, a rumbling sound occurred. "But then again, maybe not… This doesn't look good."

Luna, fearing that her old friend is in trouble and needed help, started to run back to the arena to see if she could lend a hand in the battle. Medea noticed this and hurried after her, not wanting her to do something too reckless.

"You're not thinking of going out alone, are ya?" Medea questioned her.

"Hercules needs some help…I have to go in there and save them," Luna insisted anxiously.

"We'll go with you!" Sora announced, not wanting his friend to go alone.

But Phil wasn't too excited about that. "Whoa, whoa, you're not entering the arena, are ya? This ain't just some match. This is for real!"

"We're not afraid! You can decide if we're hero material or not when we're done," Sora insisted. "Besides, we're not going to let Luna go out there by herself."

Everyone hurried back out to the arena just in time to find the Cerberus about to corner Hercules, who was carrying the unconscious warrior over his shoulder. The good news was that the canine heard them coming and turned to face against them rather than hunt down the intended target; the bad news was that the gang was in for a rather dangerous fight. As the five braced themselves for the battle, Hercules was able to slip away unnoticed and Phil stepped in to see the fight unfold.

"Hey, guys! I got two words of advice for you: Attack!"

"That's one word, ya goat!" Medea shouted back.

"Here it comes!" Sora called as Luna warned, "Be careful, everyone!"

The fight against Cerberus was certainly no walk in the park for them. Not only was that malevolent three-headed canine very durable despite the punishment it was taking, but it was also a rather ferocious beast as it snapped its fangs at them. However, it didn't mean that the bugger was invincible – far from it: Goofy provided as good of protection from the oncoming bite attacks as he could, which allowed Donald to cast a spell or Medea to launch herself high enough to claw at one of the big heads until it shook her off.

On Luna's part, she summoned her Shadow Hands to keep the dog at bay as she let the conjurations swipe at it for her while Sora made every effort to jump for the nearest head in his range and gave it a smackdown (occasionally Luna would provide her Shadow Hands in case he had trouble being able to reach).

But then, when the Cerberus began spitting out dark, murky substances from their mouths and these puddles of darkness formed pillars meant to hurt them, things were a bit more hectic. By this point, Luna felt like she's had enough; driven by an instinct that wants to punish their obstacle, she formed a giant shadow around her and larger Shadow Hands emerged to rear for an attack.

"I've had enough of you…! You've been a really bad doggy!" Luna drawled in annoyance.

Much to everyone's shock, the giant Shadow Hands that formed by her side suddenly dropped down and pounded on the Cerberus and its heads with powerful strikes that made it look like extreme punishment (which ironically scared the living crap out of everyone else as she was doing this) until the beast finally lost its strength and collapsed. When Luna was done, she looked over to the others and, upon noticing their shock, tilted her head in confusion.

"…Did I do something to scare you?" she asked, ignorant of the situation.

"Um…Luna…did you really do that?" Donald asked nervously.

"I think I know what I'd want to avoid when you're really angry," Sora agreed.

"Oh, come on, it's not something she does often. Besides, it's rare for her to be mad about something," Medea scoffed.

"Medea…" Luna sighed. She looked over to Sora. "Don't worry about it. I promise that what I did was only meant for the bad dog. It might happen again, but I promise it won't be used against you." Then, she remembered that Phil and Hercules were waiting. "Anyways…we should meet up and see whether you're okay as a hero."

* * *

Now that everything had final settled down, Luna stood in line with Sora, Donald, and Goofy while Medea watched by the side with Hercules as Phil made his announcement on whether or not they have the hero material to be expected of them.

"Thus, I hereby dub thee junior heroes, and confer upon thee full rights and privileges to participate in the games. Further –"

"Hey, what d'ya mean 'junior heroes'?!" Donald protested.

"You rookies still don't understand what it takes to be a true hero, except for Luna since she's known more about it," Phil replied.

"What does it take?" Goofy wondered.

"Well, that's just something you'll have to find out for yourself," Hercules answered with a knowing look. "Just like the way I did."

"No problem. We'll start by proving ourselves in the games," Sora said with huge confidence.

"Sora, I don't think that's the only way to prove yourself a hero," Luna disagreed. "You should see other places and experience other things in order to show what you can do."

"She's right, kid. And besides, there's not gonna be any games for a while," Phil agreed with her. "We still gotta clean up the mess from that fight earlier."

That didn't worry the keyblade wielder one bit. "We'll be back."

As Sora and the others started to take their leave, Luna got herself a surprise when she felt herself being picked up and held in a powerful hug (that would've crushed her but thankfully, it didn't) by Hercules. As this was happening, she could hear her guardian trying to muffle her laughter at the sight.

"Has it been a long while, Hercules?" Luna asked as she caught her breath.

"I could say the same to you, Luna. The last time I saw you, you were just a small child who needed someone to watch you," Hercules replied with a smile.

"Well…now I'm not. Not that it matters. I'm just glad to see a familiar face after so long," Luna said.

"I still can't believe you and that squirt took down Cerberus like that," Phil commented.

"C'mon, that big dog was a tough customer, especially with its big teeth. How easy could it have been?" Medea questioned.

But then Hercules leaned in towards them and told them, "Just between us, I'd already worn Cerberus down by the time they jumped in."

That was when both ladies figured out what Hercules was talking about, along with Phil. Since Herc was already as strong as he was, he must've done enough damage to that canine monstrosity to let them finish off the moment they arrived at the scene; still, all the same, it was a tough fight, but that unseen moment must've given them just enough of an edge to stop a senseless massacre. That only meant that Sora doesn't even realize what really went on after they had escaped the arena earlier. But he didn't need to know about that…

Phil showed a knowing grin on his face. "My lips are sealed."

"I won't say anything about it, either. I think it's for the better," Luna agreed.

Medea looked around for a moment before asking, "By the way, there's something I hadn't noticed till now: where the hell is that Zack guy?"

"I don't know. Sometime after you left, he left without explanation or indication as to where he was going," Hercules replied with a shrug. "We figured that he might've either left to continue his pursuit of heroism, or he went to look for you. To be honest, I can't say for sure."

Though Luna was disappointed that another old friend was not around in the coliseum anymore, she certainly was willing to understand if nobody had an idea of where he could've gone.

"I see…Well, then, we'll be going now. Maybe we'll come back later when the games are open again," Luna said as she started to leave.

"Yeah, well, that'll depend on what kind of trouble we've gotten ourselves into," Medea commented.

"In that case, I've got two words of advice for you, Luna: Update your skills!" Phil instructed her.

Luna giggled at the mistake as she left the lobby with Medea following behind her, groaning at the satyr's failure to follow the two words rule. By the time they got out of the lobby, they reunited with Sora and the others and found the swordsman seated by the gates in contemplation, possibly thinking over all that happened earlier.

"What kept you, Luna?" Sora asked.

"I'm sorry. I was catching up with Hercules," Luna apologized. "Is that man doing okay?"

"Gee, we were about to ask about that," Goofy replied.

"We'd better keep looking, too, since we're done here for now," Donald added.

But before they left, Luna and Sora decided to speak with the new guy and find out what his business was.

"Are you alright now, mister?" Luna asked him.

"Yeah…"

"So, why did you go along with him anyway?" Sora questioned.

The man hung his head. "I'm looking for someone. Hades promised to help. I tried to exploit the power of darkness, but it backfired."

Hearing that coming from the poor man certainly stung Luna's heartstrings, reminding her of her past experiences with people who got mixed up with the corruptive element. Her older brother, Terra, suffered from it; Zack was once a victim of that, and Ventus was victimized because of his dark side and…She quickly pushed away the last thing she wanted to think about, not wanting the pain to resurface.

The warrior got up and looked elsewhere. "I fell into darkness, and I couldn't find the light."

"You'll find it. I'm searching, too," Sora told him, as though it were a consolation.

"I know what it's like to lose something…or someone. I hope you'll find whatever you're missing…" Luna agreed, her voice indicating sadness.

The swordsman looked over to them. "For your light…?" He started to walk away. "Don't lose sight of it."

"Hey, how about a rematch?" Sora asked, "Fair and square. No dark powers involved."

There was silence, before he replied, "I think I'll passs."

"Then, could we have your name in case we meet again?" Luna asked.

The warrior turned to Luna like she was weird, but then answered her. "…Cloud."

"Cloud, huh? No wonder the guy is so moody," Medea commented.

Luna hung her head shamefully. "Medea…"

"One of these days, we really need to discuss about your guardian's behavior," Sora sighed as he looked over to Luna.

"Can we do that later? This isn't the best place to talk about trivial things," Luna suggested.

With the coliseum not running for a while, everyone unanimously agreed that they shouldn't stick around for the time being and keep looking for their pals at another world; hopefully, they can find another noteworthy of exploring before they have to go back to Traverse Town.


	7. Chapter 6: Deep Jungle

**And finally, I have brought Deep Jungle in! Love it or hate it, I'm sure no one can deny that it was great to have Tarzan fighting by your side against the Heartless. Man, I always hated that jackass Clayton - seriously, hunting down gorillas? For what? What did they do to deserve that? I would've loved to hunt HIM down instead and have his broken gun as my trophy for giving him what was coming to him.**

 **Gry18: I really appreciate your offer on what things I could for my stories, really I do. But I have my own plans on what I want to do. I'm not gonna lie that I was actually caught off-guard when you actually offered ideas. That's never happened before. Again, thank you for trying to give me suggestions.**

 **All that being said, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Constructive reviews are welcome. Rude comments are not.**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave a review, but no flames.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Deep Jungle

Lo and behold, when they traversed further within the lanes, their ship discovered a jungle-like world filled with great trees and a waterfall seeming to be running ceaselessly along with a treehouse on one of the trees; on some of the trees, there were vines that could be seen in various places as well as winding around the trunks of the wood.

"I wonder what kind of place that is…" Luna wondered.

"Hey, Donald, maybe the king's down there," Goofy suggested, obviously as curious as Luna is.

"In a backwater place like that? No way!" Donald skeptically protested. "Let's move on."

"Hold on. Riku and Kairi might be down there," Sora insisted, "Let's check it out."

"We won't know whether anyone is there unless we look," Luna agreed.

"Forget it! We're on an important mission!" the duck refused.

That was when Medea emerged from Luna's shadow. "Do we give a crap about whatever the hell your mission is?! Just land the damn ship!"

"No!"

"Please, Donald…a little peek wouldn't hurt, would it?" Luna pleaded.

But Donald still wouldn't budge as he started to steer away. "Aw, phooey!"

However, when nobody expected it, Sora hijacked the steering wheel and jerked the gummi ship towards where the jungle world is.

"We're landing!"

Realizing that the ship has gone out of control, Donald began to panic. "Don't touch that! Nooo!"

Unfortunately, it was too late; the gummi ship began careening right towards the next world, causing everyone to fall off their seats and tumble around the place. With Luna, just as they had cleared into the skies, she accidentally hit the emergency exit lever and – before anyone knew it – she and Medea were sent falling leagues away from their other friends.

However, before long, she lost trace of her guardian and Luna was alone. She fell right through the trees until she suddenly felt herself crashing down into the water; because she had gone down too deep, Luna could easily feel herself slowly submerging deeper into the depths and unable to regain her mobility. Before she lost consciousness, she could barely see a human figure dive right into the water and swim right to her; the most she could see was the silvery tints on the silhouette's head, but couldn't make out any more when she finally blacked out…

* * *

When Luna regained consciousness, she looked around a bit to find herself in a completely different location than she started. She could make out that the place she was in was a tent, and when she looked ahead of her, it was pretty clear that she was rested under a blanket on a cot on one side.

"Oh, you're awake! Are you feeling alright?"

The instant she heard a woman's British voice, Luna turned her head a bit and saw that she wasn't the only one inside the tent. Seated next to her was a young woman in apparently her early twenties with shoulder-length dark brown hair and blue eyes, and seemed to be fitted in light clothing consisting of a sleeveless top and a mahogany cloth wrapped around her waist (most likely due to the climate the jungle gives off). The woman was gently rubbing a wet rag over her forehead; much like someone would nurse a person to health the old-fashioned way.

"What happened…? How did I get here?" were the first questions Luna asked.

"How did you get here, you ask? Well, it might sound strange to you, but a young boy with silver hair brought you here. You almost drowned in the lagoon," the woman explained, "He did what he could to help you, but he thought it best if you had proper care. Unfortunately, he couldn't stay long enough to see you wake, and he left rather quickly. You poor thing…what did you do to end up like this?"

When she heard this, it sparked her curiosity. "Silver hair…young boy…" Then, it hit her. "That sounds like Riku! What happened to him? Is he alright…?"

"I would safely say so. He had a lot of courage to dive in the water to save you. I'd say he was really worried about you, that boy," the woman replied.

While Luna was relieved to know that Riku is alive – and a little embarrassed that she had been unknowingly rescued from a watery death – and hasn't been harmed, an uneasy feeling pricked into her mind. Even though he did help her in a way, why didn't he go looking for Sora? And why did he leave so suddenly? Was it to protect her from some kind of danger? Or was there something else going on that she didn't know about?

Before she could ask any more questions, she heard footsteps coming towards the tent and – to her relief – she found her guardian had arrived.

"Urgh…as soon as I find that kid, I'm gonna give him what for," Medea grumbled as she cricked her neck, "And I'm gonna give the duck a little lesson in not judging a world by its surface…"

Luna shot up a bit. "Medea…! You're alright!"

Medea turned to see her master, and shot her a grin. "Well, nice to know that you're here. I thought I heard something going on here, and – what do you know – I find my master alive. I take it you haven't seen Sora yet?"

"No, I haven't. I just woke up, and this nice lady…Oh…" Luna forgot one of the important etiquettes. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I forgot to ask your name."

"That's quite alright. I'm Jane Porter, animal researcher," Jane answered like she wasn't bothered. "I'm out here studying gorillas…Or, at least, I was, and then…Well, it's a rather long story. If Tarzan were here, I'm sure it'd be a lot easier to explain everything."

Luna and Medea looked at each other like they had no clue what the researcher was talking about. Not to mention, the name of the person she was speaking about didn't really strike any familiar chords with them.

But right on cue, the girls got a surprise when Sora arrived with a new face into the tent. The man seemed to be practically in his early adult years, with long brown hair and green eyes, and his only form of clothing being a loincloth with the same color as his hair.

The instant Sora saw both girls, he was relieved. "Luna! Medea! You're both okay!"

"Sora, you're alright! What happened to you?" Luna asked.

"Well, it's a long story: I crashed into a tree house and nearly had a run-in with a wild animal. I would've been a goner if Tarzan hadn't shown up and drove it off," Sora explained, "I followed him, and found myself here. I'll be honest, I was worried about you."

Medea raised a brow at the last statement. "Oh, really? Was it just Luna you were concerned about?"

Jane noticed that there was a new face among the group and asked, "Who is this?"

Embarrassed, Sora struggled to say something. "Um, hi there. I'm –"

"Oh, you speak English! So, then, obviously you're not related to Tarzan…" the English woman said in amazement, "Are you here to study the gorillas?"

"Highly doubtful," a man's voice answered.

Everyone turned their attention to another person entering the tent. He seemed to be a British man – and older than Jane – sporting combed back dark hair with gray streaks and yellow-tan hunting attire, and was carrying a double-barreled gun with him. Walking along with him were their other compatriots, Donald and Goofy, who must've been found by them somewhere in the jungle.

"Sora! Luna!" Goofy said excitedly, happy to see them.

"Well, look who's come to join the party," Medea commented.

"Goofy! Donald! You're alright, too…! What a relief," Luna said happily as she reached out to hug Goofy.

Sora gave Donald a hug as well, but after a moment – and remembering the feud that they had earlier aboard the ship – of realization of what they're doing, the two separated and turned away from each other with frowning eyes; this brought up a bit of worry from Luna and Goofy since they didn't exactly want any conflict now that they're in that world, and Medea couldn't help shaking her head in dismay at the behavior of the two blockheads of the party.

"A circus of clowns," the hunter said in exasperation, "Not much use for hunting gorillas."

"Mr. Clayton, we're studying them, not hunting them. This is research," Jane reprimanded him, not too pleased at what he said. She turned to everyone else with a friendly smile. "Oh, well, the more the merrier. Do make yourselves at home."

"That's very considerate of you, Miss Jane," Luna answered on her friends' behalf. "We promise we'll behave while we're here."

"I dunno, Luna, considering how those two numbskulls are acting right now," Medea said, directing her glare at them, "they could use some disciplining right about now."

"Well…" Then, Sora and Donald answered simultaneously, "I'm staying." Both turned to each other with shock at the realization of what one another just said.

Fortunately, Goofy had an intervention. "Hey, fellas. Look what we found."

When he opened his hands, he showed Sora and Luna a square-shaped gummi block that the two had picked up in the jungle.

"What's that?" Sora questioned.

"A gummi block. It's the same stuff we use to power our ship," Goofy replied.

"It's different from the one we found back in Wonderland, isn't it?" Luna asked.

Medea hovered over to see for herself. "Sure looks like it."

"Then that means…" Sora started.

"…the king could be here," Donald finished. Then he and Sora tensed at each other. "I guess we'll have to work together. For now!"

Sora frowned at the duck. "Fine. I'll let you tag along. For now!"

Medea groaned in displeasure as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Are you serious? Are you boys gonna behave like this throughout our stay in this place? You'd better reconcile real soon, or one of us is going to have to force ya to with no avoidance…"

While the little bickers were going on, Luna noticed that Tarzan had just shifted his attention to her, as though she was something new he hadn't seen yet.

"Oh…hello," Luna said shyly. "I'm Luna."

"Lu…na…" Tarzan tried out her name. "Luna…friend. Luna, Sora, friend. Tarzan, friend."

"Well…I guess so," Luna agreed. "Sora told you about me, didn't he?"

"Sora told, Luna friend. Lost friends," Tarzan added. But then he spoke something in a language she couldn't understand.

"What do you mean by…?" Luna started to ask.

"Luna, we're about to go look for some slides for the projector," Sora interrupted. "You wanna come along?"

"Actually, Luna should rest a little longer before she does anything," Jane intervened.

"Don't worry, Sora. I'll be alright," Luna reassured him, "I'm not going anywhere until we have a lead."

While Sora left with Donald and Goofy to get the slides, Luna and Medea stayed inside the tent and waited for them. It was quite fine since Luna had a lot on her mind after everything she's experienced thus far, but there was one worry that she couldn't shake off after what she had heard earlier.

"Jane…you spoke about the boy who saved me from drowning earlier, didn't you? Well…that boy was a friend named Riku," Luna said, her worry evident. "While I am glad to know that he is alive, it makes me frightened. Did he tell you anything before he left me with you? At the very least, did he give any indication as to where he's been?"

"Unfortunately, no, he didn't tell me where he has been," Jane replied, "But he did tell me that you were a rather fragile girl, one that required a lot more care than any other child. It makes me wonder what you went through to be such a delicate girl…"

Luna lowered her head sadly. "I…can't say too much. But…I lost many loved ones…but I can't remember too clearly what happened to one of my past friends, and I do not want to speak about where another one is." She shook her head. "But now that Riku and Kairi are not with us, and we don't know where they are, it makes me afraid that something terrible happened to them. I don't want to lose any more friends like I did before…"

"Believe it, sister. You wouldn't wanna know where she's been years ago," Medea warned.

"Well, if there is one advice I could offer, perhaps you should ask him whether he is alright when you see him," Jane suggested, "Tell him how worried you are, and let him know you missed him. That would certainly put him at ease."

Luna nodded in agreement, knowing that Jane was only trying to help her; but still, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something is wrong with Riku. Perhaps whatever he was going through is the very thing her dream was warning her about: if she doesn't want to lose another loved one to the darkness that took away her friends in the past, then she would have to confront the same evil force that caused her pain in the first place. But how was she going to find him?

She had to put her thoughts to the side for a little while when Sora returned with the slides and gave them to Jane. She learned that the slides were meant to help Tarzan jog his memory, so she figured why not see what pictures had to be offered and see what happens afterwards. Among the pictures that were shown, though, there was one that struck a familiar chord to her heartstrings: a grand, magnificent castle nestled among trees in a serene environment.

"Medea…that's the castle…where I met Cinderella," Luna whispered as she tried to keep her tears from flowing.

"Is that so? Makes me wonder how Jane got that picture," Medea whispered back.

Before she knew it, Jane had just finished showing the slides to Tarzan, and everyone was about to find whether their experiment had sparked any ideas to their friend.

"Well, Tarzan?" Jane asked,

"Where are our friends, Riku and Kairi?" Sora asked him.

However, Tarzan shook his head sadly, indicating to them that he doesn't know anything. This proved to be disappointing for Luna and Sora, more so since their friend has no knowledge that could point them in the right direction.

"Maybe he hasn't met them…" Luna speculated.

Just then, Clayton came back into the tent. "That just leaves one place. Young man, young lady, we've been in this jungle for some time now. But we have to encounter these friends of yours. I'd wager they're with the gorillas." Then, he points a finger at Tarzan. "But Tarzan refuses to take us to them."

"Mr. Clayton, Tarzan wouldn't hide –" Jane started to defend him.

"Then take us there! Take us to the gorillas. Go-ril-las!" Clayton demanded.

Tarzan turned towards Sora and Luna, apparently seeing their desperation to find what's important to them and wanting his help in finding their friends. They could see him nod his head, as though he was willing to do what he can to aid them.

"Tarzan, are you sure?" Jane questioned in concern.

"Tarzan go see Kerchak," the ape-man answered.

Luna looked to him in confusion. "Who is Kerchak?"

"He must be the leader. Perfect," Clayton said rather too eagerly, "I'll go along as an escort. After all, the jungle is a dangerous place."

But Medea had objections to the idea. "Now hold up for one damn minute! I don't trust a single thing you're saying, especially how earlier you were saying something about hunting gorillas!"

Donald was aghast at this. "Medea, what are you saying?"

"Madam, what is your problem? What would you know about the jungle, with wild beasts out there that won't hesitate to tear you apart?" Clayton questioned in repulsion at her attitude.

"For your information, Mr. Not-Good-Enough-For-Hunting-Gorillas, I'm Luna's guardian and I say that you don't sound like someone who would faithfully keep her or her friends safe from anything," Medea replied irritably, "On top of that, Luna and I have dealt with more ferocious things than an animal and we didn't always need someone to protect us! So, there! You have your answer, so just take it and deal with it!"

"If you're that concerned about it, Medea, then you can accompany them and keep an eye on Clayton," Jane suggested.

The hunter was appalled at the idea of being watched. "What?!" He growled a bit. "Fine, then. But you'd better not get in my way."

"Don't bet on it," Medea warned darkly.

As they started to head out into the jungle with Tarzan at the lead, Luna and Medea slowed a bit to speak quietly about the situation they're in.

"Medea, I don't like that man. He sounds more like someone out for blood, and for the wrong reasons," Luna said with a hint of anger, "If he strays, do what it takes to stop him before anyone gets hurt."

"No problem, Luna. One mistake and we'll make sure Jane knows," Medea agreed.

* * *

With Tarzan at the lead, the party traversed through the deeper parts of the jungle to meet with whomever they had to speak with. True to the agreement, Medea kept her eyes on the hunter while everyone else kept their focus on their guide; sometimes Luna would look back to watch for any warning signs of ill intent, as she was supposed to considering her experience with people that would mean to do any harm.

Eventually, there came a point where, high within the upper part of the trees, they could see a pair of gorillas hovering there. One of them – the male gorilla – obviously was watching the outsiders with suspicions crossed upon his face; the other – the female – seemed to be wondering what could be going on and what the new creatures were doing with Tarzan.

"Kerchak, please listen to me. I know the nesting grounds are secret, but I trust them," Tarzan implored, "You see, I want to help them because…because, well, they need us."

Everyone merely watched as Tarzan spoke with the gorillas in their language, but had trouble understanding what might be going on between them.

"Did you get that?" Goofy asked.

Donald shook his head and answered, "No."

"Maybe he was speaking in their tongue so that he wouldn't make them suspicious," Luna guessed.

But then, Kerchak looked over to a different direction and started to move away, almost as though something wasn't right. It made everyone wonder what was up.

"He seemed sorta distracted by something," Goofy noticed.

"Was he looking toward the tree house?" Donald wondered.

When she heard this, it made Luna worried that something is about to go wrong at any moment. She quickly turned to find her Shadow Guardian already starting to run off, forcing her to chase after her (which in turn made everyone else follow behind her).

"Medea, does this mean what I think it does?" Luna asked in dread.

"Oh, hell, yeah it's what you think it is! That damn hunter was up to no good," Medea replied hurriedly, "Once I find him, I'm so gonna drag him over and make him 'fess up on his immoral actions!"

Sure enough, when they did reach the tree house, they found Clayton aiming his gun at a young gorilla who was playing with a globe out of curiosity. Medea immediately took the initiative and pounced on him just as he fired off a shot; fortunately, it missed and only the gorilla run off from fright at the shot. Unfortunately, the tradeoff was that when the leader arrived, he was rather upset at the scene.

"I knew you were up to no good, jackass!" Medea growled.

"What's the big idea?!" Donald yelled angrily, figuring out what was going on.

Tarzan hurried up front, desperate to reason. "Wait, Kerchak. Please!"

Sadly, his words were not heeded by Kerchak as the mighty gorilla simply stared coldly at everyone below and then left without a word towards them. But the smaller gorilla looked on a little longer, most likely confused, and then turned to leave as well. When both of them were gone, Tarzan turned to Clayton and glared in anger at him. Luna and Medea were also enraged at this, and joined in as they gave the hunter death glares that warned he was in for a heap of trouble when they got back to the camp.

"You don't understand. I was only trying to…" Clayton tried to talk his way out. "Ah…A snake slithered by, you see. I saved that poor gorilla's life."

He got quite a fright when Luna loomed over him with a dark look on her face, almost as though she wanted to murder him (but she had other plans in mind for him).

"Not another word from you, foul hunter," Luna ordered lowly, "We saw what you were going to do. We will tell Jane about this."

"Damn straight we are, Luna," Medea agreed with a hiss.

* * *

When they got back to the camp, Jane was surprised to find that everyone came back; but when she saw the angry look on Tarzan as well as the dark looks Luna and Medea were giving off, she quickly caught on that things didn't go too well and that someone had to explain what happened out in the jungle.

"What happened out there?" she asked, not liking where it was going.

"Jane…That hunter tried to shoot an innocent gorilla," Luna answered bitterly, "He made the other gorillas distrustful, no matter what Tarzan tried to talk to them."

"What'd I tell you, lady?" Medea said knowingly.

Sure enough, Jane was furious about this. "How could you do such a thing?!"

Clayton got scared there. "Now, Miss Porter, as I told you, I was not aiming at the gorilla."

"You are not to go near the gorillas again!" Jane ordered.

"All because of one mishap? Come now…" Clayton tried to come with some lame excuse.

But all his attempts to come up with some lame excuse only served to continue biting back at him. Everyone glared at him very harshly, strongly opposing him and not wanting to hear any more monstrous fibs when he should know that all his excuses will only serve to bring nastier punishment on him. Enraged that no one would listen to him, Clayton stormed out of the tent without any other word to say.

Once he was gone, Jane sighed deeply as she rubbed her forehead. "You were right about Clayton, Miss Medea. You were right about not trusting him."

Luna softened a bit as she approached Jane. "It's not your fault, ma'am. Clayton was a bad man. He only cares about killing things he doesn't understand about. It's not right…"

Sora sighed in dismay. "For once, I have to agree on that. I mean, what did those gorillas do to him to deserve being hunted?"

"If you ask me, he doesn't give a damn about the beasts," Medea said coldly.

All of a sudden, a gunshot rang out form outside, startling everyone inside the tent. That only meant one thing: Clayton fired off that shot. The question is, where did this happen?

"Sora, we have to get out there!" Luna cried, afraid of what the gunshot meant.

"Alright, let's go!" Sora agreed.

In an instant, everyone hurried outside to find a gorilla surrounded by a group of Heartless that looked like freaky monkeys. Luna and Sora hurried in to do their job just as Tarzan joined in to help out; at least that was understandable, since for their ape-man friend it was his family of sorts that were being threatened by those fiends.

"Where are those things coming from?" Jane questioned in horror.

"I have one suspicion…but nobody might like it," Luna confessed, "It might be Clayton. No…it has to be Clayton. He hates gorillas, and now he is hunting them with the Heartless."

Goofy sure didn't like the sound of it. "If that's the case, then where's Clayton?"

"Why would Clayton do that?" Donald asked, which was rather stupid.

"Didn't you get the memo? That guy always talked about hunting the gorillas, and I'm pretty sure that he wants all of them dead because we stopped him from shooting just one," Medea grilled at Donald's disbelief.

Luna turned to Tarzan. "I know you must be worried about them. We'll help you save the gorillas. Please, lead the way and we'll take care of them."

Tarzan nodded in agreement, showing a determined look that showed he's ready to defend all he loved from the merciless monster the hunter has become.

Sora turned to Jane. "You should stay in the camp. Don't let anyone come in, unless it's us, okay?"

"Please be careful out there. There might be more of them," Jane warned.

"Don't worry…we won't let anything happen to those poor animals," Luna promised.

* * *

After every single gorilla was saved from the packs of Heartless that tried to trap or attack the defenseless creatures, Luna and the others started to make their way back to the camp to see if Jane was alright as soon as possible. But just as they had arrived at the bamboo thicket, they were surprised to find Clayton's smoking pipe nestled on a rock in the middle of the area. Why would Clayton leave it there?

"Do you think it could be a trap?" Luna asked.

"I don't know, Luna. If it was a trap, someone – or something – would come out and try to kill us," Sora replied with suspicion.

But then, much to their surprise, a big leopard leaped out from the bamboo and attempted to pounce at the unsuspecting intruders. It was easy to tell that Tarzan recognized that beast, since he began to snarl like he was ready to rid the jungle of the foul predator. But while Sora readied his weapon as though he was ready for another round with the beast, Luna was quite stunned at the ferocity of the thing before them.

"Sora…! What is that thing?!" Luna cried out in fright.

"It's Sabor! Tarzan mentioned its name when we first met!" Sora answered quickly. "C'mon, we'd better take it down quick if we want to get to camp!"

Thankfully, the fight against Sabor was quite easy, more so since Tarzan was there to keep the beast at bay long enough for either Sora or Luna to smash at it until it finally bit the dust.

Not wanting to waste any more time, they hurried back to the camp to see if Jane was alright; but they got a shocking surprise to find more Heartless causing trouble for them. But to make the matter even worse, by the time they did get inside the safety of the tent, things took a turn for the worse when they found that Jane was missing!

"This isn't good…where could Jane be?" Luna asked in worry.

Tarzan looked around, as though he was trying to figure out what could've happened to her.

"Something wrong, Tarzan?" Goofy asked.

"Something coming, Jane danger," Tarzan answered, "Jane near…near tree house."

"Then that's where we're gonna go!" Medea declared. "Let's hurry up and bail her out before we bash that hunter to a pulp!"

When they did find Jane, it was discovered that vines blocked off where she was being kept and that those vines were coming a giant dark fruit that looks way too creepy to be something edible. It didn't really help when more Heartless showed up to stop them from destroying the fruit.

"Luna, we'll keep the Heartless occupied while you and Medea get rid of the fruit!" Sora instructed as he hurried to fight the fiends.

"We'll take care of this," Luna agreed. "Medea, you ready?"

"Hell, yeah, I am!" Medea said eagerly as she jumped to reach the stem.

With the coordinated attacks, the fruit was completely obliterated and the vines disappeared due to nothing to keep them alive; at the same time, the Heartless vanished from the area as though it were wiser to get out of there.

Not wanting to waste any more time, the group hurried to make sure Jane was alright, and found her with the same gorilla Clayton tried to shoot back at the tree house.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Luna asked in concern.

"Clayton came to the tent, and…that's the last thing I remember," Jane answered.

Sora was appalled at this. "Clayton?"

"Gorillas trapped. Terk ran," Tarzan said.

"We gotta stop him before it's too late!" Donald shouted distressfully.

Immediately, everyone hurried away to the cliffs and found Clayton there with a bunch of Heartless alongside him; the gorillas were cornered in one place, left wide open for the hunter to shoot them all down without any escape or interference – or so he would think. Before he could shoot at the helpless creatures, Luna summoned her Shadow Hands to block him off and drive the Heartless away from the area. This made him turn around in anger that he had been stopped for the last time.

"Clayton?" Sora shouted angrily.

"Stop it! Leave them!" Luna demanded.

"Not Clayton! *&&X%! Not Clayton!" Tarzan protested.

"I dunno what you're saying, Monkey Man, but I agree that he needs to go down!" Medea agreed as her Black Claws formed.

Clayton growled angrily as he readied his gun. "You've got some nerves, but I knew you two women are more trouble than your imbecilic partners!"

That got Donald's feathers ruffled. "What'd ya say?!"

Since the party was dealing with a man that has a dangerous weapon capable of actually killing them, it made it a bit tough to attack him without risking the chance of taking a bullet. As if that wasn't bad enough, the rocks by the cliffs exploded and Clayton mounted atop something that appeared to be invisible. Tarzan tried to attack Clayton, but was knocked aside by the invisible monster.

"How do you like that? You're not so tough now, are you?" Clayton taunted. "Once I kill all of you, rounding up those apes will be –"

But then he was forcibly interrupted when bolts of thunder summoned by Donald electrocuted him and revealed the chameleon form of the Heartless he was mounted on. From there, it was possible to take on the monstrosity as well as Clayton. After a while, the Stealth Sneak took so much damage that it staggered until it collapsed right on top of Clayton; when this was happening, Sora blocked Luna's view so that she wouldn't see the aftermath of the demise of the cruel hunter.

Since it was all over, the gorillas slowly came out of hiding along with Kerchak at the lead. He still maintained the stone look, but he seemed to be aware that Clayton is no more.

"Are you willing to trust us, now that the bad hunter is gone?" Luna asked, hoping that their trust has been earned at last. "We are looking for something."

Kerchak looked at her for a moment before moving over to Sora, and – when everyone least expected it – the boy was tossed really hard up towards the top side of the cliff. Then, Donald and Goofy followed suit with the same crash-landing results. For a moment, Luna could've sworn that she heard her friends say 'ouch' from above.

"I'm just gonna assume that's a 'yes', then," Medea commented.

"You're probably right," Luna agreed.

The next thing Luna knew was that she was grabbed up and thrown up towards the edge, but not as hard as Sora was; she only landed on her rump. Even Medea couldn't avoid being thrown, but on her part, she managed to land on her feet without too much trouble.

"How come you two didn't have to go through that?" Sora complained.

Luna shrugged. "I don't know…"

Tarzan caught up with the others just as Jane and Terk arrived as well, and started to lead the way towards the waterfalls just beyond the other side of the cliff.

"Tarzan, home."

"I wonder if it's someplace special to him," Luna contemplated.

"Could be," Sora agreed. "Let's go find out."

Their remainder of their journey led into a massive cavern with waterfalls flowing in various places and rigid terrains. While it wasn't easy to climb to the top of the cavern, everyone supported each other as Tarzan led them all the way up to a tunnel where they found a massive, vine-covered tree inside a grotto with hordes of brightly glowing butterflies gathered around each other whilst giving off a radiant light that shone like the moon.

"*&&X%," came out of Tarzan.

"This is your home? Then that means…" Sora was about to question.

But then, he was interrupted when Tarzan held his hand to his ear, almost as though he wanted them to be still and listen carefully to something. Curious, everyone followed suit and opened their ears to know what it was. Sure enough, they could hear the faint sound of the waterfalls giving off their melodic flow even though they weren't anywhere near the place.

"...I hear it. How beautiful," Luna said in awe.

Medea couldn't help agreeing. "…No lie there."

"The waterfalls…They're echoing all the way here," Jane agreed in fascination.

"*&&X%. Friends there. See friends."

That was when Jane figured out what he was talking about. "Oh, now I've got it. *&&X% means heart. Friends in our hearts…"

"…Heart," Tarzan tried out the new word.

"Oh, so that's what it meant…" Sora said sadly, finally realizing what it meant.

"Friends, same heart. Clayton, lose heart," Tarzan said, "No heart, no see friends. No heart, no friends."

Guilt spread on their faces, Sora and Donald realized what this meant and understood that they had been rather horrible since they crash-landed into the jungle. Ashamed at how they were acting, they turned to each other and decided to make up for how one another were behaving earlier.

"Sorry about what I said," Sora apologized.

"I'm sorry, too," Donald apologized as well.

"About damn time, boys," Medea said sarcastically, "Your frumps were so annoying."

"Yup! All for one, huh?" Goofy said brightly as he hugged the group.

Then, the glowing butterflies began to scatter from where they were nestled, revealing another keyhole to lock. Sora did his job as he pulled out his keyblade, held it out, and the beam of light shot out to magically lock the keyhole; Luna used her power to check for any shadow still lurking, but when she found nothing, she was able to relax. In the process, another strange gummi block appeared out of nowhere, catching everyone's attention.

"A gummi!" Donald exclaimed.

"But it's sure not the king's," Goofy noted as he picked it up to look.

Then, when it was least expected, Terk moved over to Donald and playfully nuzzled close to his face.

"Looks like someone has a new admirer," Jane teased playfully.

Everyone noticed this, and began to laugh at the humorous sight. Once Donald figured out what was going on, he quickly grew embarrassed and began shaking his head very rapidly in very strong denial at what was happening just now.

"No, no, no, no! Daisy would kill me!" he cried out.

Luna giggled at this. "That certainly sounds familiar…"

But then, without anyone noticing, Luna's smile changed into a worried frown as she thought back on the things she heard on Riku. She couldn't help feeling concerned about where he is, and whether he is with Kairi. How she certainly missed the both of them…

"Riku…Kairi…where are you two?" she asked quietly. "Please, give me a sign you're alright."


	8. Chapter 7: Back to Traverse Town

**Sorry I'm late on posting, dear readers. The holidays have been pretty hectic, and I've been distracted.**

 **And if some of you find this a rather short chapter, sorry about that. But to compensate, the second visit of Traverse Town will come in two or three parts, depending on what I think would be better to do. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this regardless and...oh, man, I so missed writing Shantotto's rhyming speech...Rhyming was a witch.**

 **And if DarkKitsuneFluffy is reading this, guess who's back?**

 **blueorchid7: I'm glad you're actually enjoying this story so far. I wanted to break the cliché that other writers had been doing with their original characters, particularly the whole 'Princess of Whatever the Writer Thinks About' and bring out a whole different character to stand out from the canon cast. And don't worry: I've got plans for further down the line. But I'm not gonna spill the beans on what.**

 **All that being said, enjoy!**

 **Constructive reviews are welcome. Rude comments are not.**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, review, but no flames allowed.**

* * *

Chapter 7: Back to Traverse Town

After finding their gummi ship and checking to see if everything is still functional, the party took their leave of Deep Jungle. Since nobody had a clue as to the strange gummi blocks they had found in the previous worlds, it was unanimously agreed that they should head back to Traverse Town and ask about it; that and it was agreed that they might need to be more prepared for any further travelling they'll be doing. Not to mention, Sora thought it would be good for Luna and Medea to properly introduce them to the people he had met when he arrived in town.

To pass the time before their landing, Donald agreed to help Luna and Sora learn how to use magic properly – at Luna's own request – so that they'd be able to handle using magic better than they did before. Granted, it wasn't exactly cakewalk on Sora's part to practice since he was more used to striking physically; but in Luna's case, she had to figure out how to work around her skills and, with enough studying on her conjurations, she was able to learn how she can use magic in conjunction with her Shadow Hands (in fact, when Donald got a better idea of her style, he was the one who actually helped her figure out how to position the Hands to perform specific magic spells).

When they did arrive in Traverse Town, things seemed to be pretty calm…for the moment. But it was pretty clear that many of the townsfolk are not going to take any chances of trekking through the streets if it means the Heartless are still out there.

"Where are we going to find the Leon guy…?" Luna wondered.

"Dunno. Maybe we should ask someone," Sora suggested. "Or maybe Yuffie might know where he is."

"Wow, that's a smart idea. Any other brilliant suggestions?" Medea deadpanned.

"We could look for Seymour," Luna brought up an idea. "Or maybe speak with Larsa again."

"Gee, then where would they be?" Goofy wondered.

"You were looking for someone?"

Luna and Sora's attention was caught by the perky female voice, making them turn around to find the ninja Yuffie in the square giving them a friendly 'welcome back' wave as she was approaching them. Apparently, she had just arrived at the square and found them without them knowing it.

"Let me guess: you're looking for Leon, right? He's probably at the underground cavern," Yuffie explained, "He trains there often. You know, the channel in the alleyway is connected to the cavern."

"Where could we find such a thing? I don't think I've seen it," Luna confessed, "At least, not when we got here the first time."

"Aw, it's fine. I'm sure Larsa can point out where it is. Besides, he's helped scouting the place for Heartless time to time," the ninja reassured her.

"I wouldn't be too surprised, since he did seem able to take care of himself," Medea commented.

"That'd help a lot. Thanks," Sora thanked as they went on their way.

Yuffie grinned cheerfully. "Glad to be of help!"

* * *

Fortunately for them, they didn't have to look too far for Larsa as soon as they found him by an outdoor restaurant further down the district; apparently, he was searching the area for any Heartless that might've shown their faces unannounced. As soon as he did spot Sora and Luna, he lowered his guard to say hello to them.

"Welcome back, all of you. I trust your adventure has been well?" Larsa asked out of curiosity.

"It was…bittersweet, I think. We saved some worlds so far, and we've met wonderful people in those worlds," Luna answered, "But…we still haven't found Riku or Kairi. And…well…I don't know how to explain anything else."

"We're looking for Leon. Yuffie said that you'd know where he is," Sora added, "since we don't know where this channel is."

"I see. Then I'd be glad to guide you there," Larsa said in understanding. "I still have to make my rounds, but I can show you where to go."

With his guidance through the streets, their youngest friend led them to a waterway channel guarded by a set of metal bars to prevent anyone from snooping in. It certainly made the group wonder why anyone would want to train in a secluded place like this, or inside a cavern deep within there for that matter.

"This is where you need to go if you want to talk to him. You'd best let him know what you've been through and what you've found out there," Larsa told them. "I'm sure it could give us a bit of hope against the Heartless."

"No problem. Besides, we need to know where to go from here," Sora agreed.

"Oh, and by the way, if you happen to find Zidane in the cavern, will you let him know that I'll need a little help on the rounds?" Larsa requested. "I will require his aid in the second district if he's not too busy."

This caught Luna's attention, puzzling her in the process. "Zidane…? Why does that sound familiar?"

"Who knows? Maybe you'll know when ya see this guy," Medea suggested, to which Luna silently agreed on.

Once Larsa had gone off to continue his patrol of Traverse Town, Luna and the others continued on their way to meet with the others; though, the first thing they had to do was get rid of the bars blocking their way in. Thankfully, Medea took care of that by tearing the bars apart with her Black Claws (which startled the boys since they've never seen just how strong this guardian really is). After that, they had to swim through the tunnel in order to reach the cavern deep inside the empty waterway. Sure enough, they found Leon there sharpening his skills with the gunblade while Aerith simply stayed by the sideline and spoke with the third party member.

The new face was a boy with blond hair in a ponytail and bright blue eyes, wearing a teal vest over a white top with blue cargo pants held by belts, gray gloves with large cuffs and white boots; the one thing that made him an oddball was the fact that he had a monkey's tail.

By the time the party had arrived inside the cavern, Aerith was the first to see them coming and came over to greet them.

"You're back! Did everything go alright?" she asked as she came over to help them up.

"Aside from running into more Heartless, finding keyholes, and meeting different people? It's been pretty good," Sora answered as he climbed out of the water.

"But we haven't found our island friends," Luna added.

This managed to catch Leon's attention as he stopped to speak with them. "So, you found the keyhole."

"Yeah. The Keyblade locked it automatically," Sora replied.

Aerith smiled in relief. "That's good."

"How is it good? It's just a keyhole, isn't it?" Medea questioned.

"Every world among the stars has a keyhole, and each one leads to the heart of that world," Leon explained, "There must be one in this town as well."

Sora and Luna tilted their heads in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"It was in Ansem's report," Aerith answered.

 _Ansem…? Why does that name sound familiar? I wish I knew_ , Luna thought for a moment.

"The Heartless enter through the keyhole and do something to the world's core," Leon continued to fill in the details.

"What happens to the world?" Sora asked.

Aerith shook her head sadly. "In the end, that world disappears."

Everyone was shocked at this. "What!"

Actually, Luna and Medea were not too shocked at this since both of them did witness the tragic demise of one world they knew about ten years ago at the hands of a man neither of them have fond memories of.

"That's why the key is important," Leon stated, like it was too obvious.

"Please, lock the keyholes," Aerith requested, as though she were softly imploring for help.

"Where does that leave Luna, though? I mean, let's face it: she's not a Keyblade wielder or anything like that," Medea reminded them. "She's something else entirely, and most likely something I'm pretty damn sure you don't know squat about."

"That is true. I am a Shadow Mage, a person who has the power to command the shadows to do as I wish it to and protected by a guardian that lives within my shadow," Luna confessed, "I have no Keyblade, that much is correct."

Aerith seemed to contemplate what both girls told. "You're right about that. I may not understand what a Shadow Mage is, but it might be possible that your power could help aid in the fight against the very creatures we are trying to put a stop to. It might sound like fighting fire with fire, but I believe you have something special that makes you different enough to be able to destroy any Heartless that stand in your way."

Sora lowered his head, rather unsure of himself. "I don't know…"

"What're you worried about? Seeing more worlds might be a good thing for you."

When it was realized that it was the monkey-tailed boy that spoke up, Leon glared at him.

"That was what I was going to say, Zidane," he commented.

"Hey, I just wanted to help, that's all," the boy Zidane answered as he shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, really, you've got a boy who's new to the whole saving the world stuff and a cute girl who got strung along for the ride. Show a little more love, hmm?"

Hilariously, Luna blushed in embarrassment while everyone else's faces questioned 'does he realize what he is saying?' in front of everybody.

"Is this kid always like that?" Medea had to ask in exasperation.

Aerith giggled a bit. "Yes, he's always been that way. Don't take what he says the wrong way. He's just trying to help."

When Luna came to her senses, she realized that something about the boy's name felt vaguely familiar. At first, she wasn't sure where that was – until after a moment of contemplation, it hit her like a ton of bricks; although it wasn't much, one memory came back to her that reminded her of that person she met once. That meant only thing: she's found another face that she had forgotten!

"Wait…Zidane? Now I remember…you said once you lived with Aerith," Luna said with a stunned tone of voice, surprised that she's regained more of her lost memory. "You were the boy who snuck into a garden…But where?"

This actually caught his attention and, when it was least expected, Zidane startled Luna by giving her a big squeeze of joy as though he had really missed being around her after who knows how long.

"This is incredible! Luna, you're really alive! Seymour said before that you had disappeared years ago, and nobody had the faintest idea where you are," Zidane said excitedly, "But look – here you are, and you're alive and well! What's everyone else going to think about this?"

"Everyone else…? What do you mean?" Luna questioned in confusion, unaware that there are others.

"I think you might understand better if you looked for Seymour and his teacher," Aerith suggested. "They might be able to help you find others who say they know you as well."

"Great. Where can we find them?" Sora asked.

"You can find them at Merlin's house, further in town. Zidane can guide you there," Leon answered.

"That's rather thoughtful. Thank you," Luna said sweetly.

"Not a problem. I know where that wizard's place is. Just follow me, everyone!" Zidane said as he led everyone out of the cavern.

* * *

"So, judging from what I've been hearing for a little while, Luna knows a few of the people living in Traverse Town, but for some weird reason or another she lost those memories up until now," Sora was saying as they were being led through the streets, "What other places has Luna been to and what other people has she met that I haven't? She's making me more jealous than I'd like to be…"

"Well, let me put it to you this way: there are some things you probably haven't learned from her yet. Whether it was a bit of memory loss or something else as a whole is beyond me, but who cares? She's here, and she's okay, and that's all that matters," Zidane replied jovially.

"It sure makes me wonder who else has missed the little lady all those years," Medea commented sarcastically.

"Do ya know other friends besides this Merlin guy?" Goofy asked out of curiosity.

"Aside from Seymour, there's that magic professor who never seems to stop trying to recite rather prideful poetry – what was her name again? – Oh, yeah, it was Shantotto!" the monkey boy replied, "How a lonesome half-blood got her for a teacher in magic is beyond me, but I can never listen to any of her lectures without falling asleep somewhere."

"It makes me wonder what else we don't know about Luna's adventures," Donald commented, his suspicious glare clearly telling Sora that he wants answers anytime now.

But the duck never got the chance to even try to pry in when they finally arrived in a rather peculiar place that seemed to be underground, and a lone worn-down house sat quietly in the middle of a piece of land surrounded by water. The only way they could even manage to cross to that lonely place was by trekking across three large stones that would slowly move this way and that way.

By the time they did manage to get across, Luna and Sora undoubtedly found Seymour and Alex by the hole in the wall conversing with another individual. The new face was a female with large pointed ears and blond hair set in short, thick pigtails (and of much shorter proportions than Seymour); she was wearing a black-and-white robe with gold linings in some places, dark decorated gloves, and striped boots that were very lightly armored.

"Where on earth is that kooky old hermit? I thought I had specifically informed him to prepare for someone who would need a wizard's permit," the small woman said impatiently as she tapped her feet, "I'm willing to forgive the tardiness of the poor woman and her benevolent hijinks, but that old loon could very easily make someone wish for more than forty winks."

"Professor, you have to understand how Merlin is: he's an old school sorcerer who has great power in his own right," Seymour explained, "It's just that he is hardly a socially active person, unlike you."

"What're you guys talking about?" Sora had to ask instinctively.

The moment Sora asked that question, their attention was quickly diverted long enough to know that they're not alone. Little Alex galloped over to Luna, happy to see her again; Seymour and Shantotto, knowing that they have company, came over to greet the group personally.

"Welcome back, all of you. I see you've met another compatriot of ours," Seymour said, referring to Zidane for a moment, "What brings all of you over here?"

"We were instructed to come here because someone called Merlin could help us for our next journey," Luna replied.

Shantotto noticed the two kids and certainly had something to say. "Well, well, now what do we have here? Have more lost refugees finally deigned to appear? Honestly, everyone has been expecting to find some form of honorable knight, but I am still not seeing it tonight."

Luna couldn't help but get the nostalgic feeling in the magic professor's speech, which helped her restore more of her memories; but this time, she was finally able to identify that this was another one of the people she had met before sometime in the past. Even so, she still had no recollection as to where exactly she did meet her…

"Professor Shantotto…? Your rhyming speeches haven't changed a bit, haven't they?" Luna commented.

Although she wouldn't show it, there was surprise on the sorceress's face. "Oh-ho, and what is this I see standing so shyly before me? Had I but known that it was you returned to us much sooner, I would've thought about a proper way to warmly greet thee. Come, come, and tell me where you have been after all these nine years. Tell me what you have gone through while we had to endure the worlds' greatest fears."

"Excuse me, but can this wait until later? We've got some business here we want to finish up before we go," Medea interrupted.

That was when Sora remembered something. "By the way, do you have business elsewhere, Zidane?"

"What makes you ask?"

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot: Larsa requests your help with recon as soon as possible," Luna explained. She could tell that he wasn't sure whether they'll be okay on their own. "Don't worry. We'll be alright. We'll just have a chat with this wizard and come back later to talk."

As Zidane left to do his job, Luna and Sora followed the two magicians into the old house to find themselves in a rather musty, vacant space within the building; but it was also rather perplexing that the place was actually bigger on the inside than they initially saw on the outside. Before any questions could be brought up, something confusing happened that neither of the young teens anticipated…

"There's something about this musty place…" Luna and Sora turned around to see what appears to be Kairi passing by them. "It reminds me of the secret place, where we used to scribble on the walls. Remember?"

Luna was shocked at what she was seeing, but at the same time she couldn't believe that her foster sister was here with them.

"Sora? Luna? Is everything alright?" Goofy asked.

Sora shook his head. "I don't know…"

"Well, well, you've all arrived sooner than I expected."

Everyone turned to find out that someone had arrived in the empty room; it was a rather skinny old man with an absurdly long white beard dressed in blue wizard's robes.

"So, you finally deigned to show yourself, Merlin, you ditzy buffoon?" Shantotto asked with irritation on her face, "Tardiness is unbecoming of you, crazy old loon!"

"Really, Professor, you just have no patience for other sorcerers!" the wizard Merlin replied in appall at her mannerisms. "You of all people should know that I run at a perfectly coordinated schedule!"

Luna turned to Seymour in confusion. "Who is that supposed to be?"

"That is Merlin, a wizard in his own right. Don't pay any mind to his quirks," Seymour replied, "He may be rather unorthodox in more ways than one, but he is very reliable when he is needed most."

"You…knew we were coming?" Sora questioned the old wizard.

Upon hearing this, Merlin cleared his throat and brought out his professional manners. "Of course. I was informed that you might."

Medea was not too sure about that. "Really? We didn't even know about you before those two magicians told us so."

"Yes, yes, I had the feeling you'd say that. Anyways, I spend much of my time traveling. It's good to be home," Merlin told everyone as he moved past them. As soon as he set his bag down, he turned back to them. "You see, the king has requested my help."

"King Mickey?" Goofy asked, curious as to the details.

"Yes, indeed, Donald, Goofy…" Merlin turned to the kids. "And who might you two be?"

"I'm Sora."

"Please, call me Luna."

"Ah. You have the key with you, and it's true there is a Shadow Mage among us," the wizard said, intrigued at what had been confirmed.

"What did the king ask you to do?" Donald inquired.

"Just a moment…" Merlin got up on the stone standing in the middle of the room, and, with the wave of his magic wand, the bag he had on him when he arrived opened to allow countless pieces of furniture to come out of that small space. And – just like magic, the room was no longer empty and dismal, but it was warmer and more inviting. All around the room were piles of vintage books stacked on top of each other and shelves holding all manner of magician's tools and decors that might have more use in the hands of a magic user than a civilian, and hospitable tables and a bed resting in all the right places as though they were saying 'make yourself at home' to whoever has arrived.

At this presentation, Shantotto simply rolled her eyes and said, "A show-off, you just had to be. I hope for your sake you're not letting them bark up the wrong tree."

"Professor, let the wizard do his work," Seymour requested with a sigh.

Thankful that business can begin, Merlin began to explain his job in the cause. "The king asked me to train you both in the art of magic, since your journey will be more difficult as you see other worlds. I'm sure that you'll be saying that you're just fine on your own, but that's not exactly the most logical mentality to go with, especially with all those Heartless running amok these days."

"Yeah, no lying there," Medea couldn't help agreeing on the last bit.

"That's a very generous offer you had to give. I'm sure we'll gladly let you know when we do need some help," Luna said politely.

"Not so fast, my dear girl. There's still one more thing we need to unfurl," Shantotto stopped them before anyone could think about leaving. "I believe we mentioned a benevolent woman who can help in a wink. Don't worry; I'm sure she'll be here in an eye's blink."

Since nobody knew what she was talking about, Merlin pointed over toward a small pumpkin coach nestled in one of the corners of the room. Then, like another form of brilliant magic, the pumpkin coach vanished in a flash and a kindly elder woman in blue robes made an appearance – which actually rang a bell from the past for Luna.

"Hello. I'm the Fairy Godmother. Your king asked me to help as well," Fairy Godmother said sweetly, "I will also be assisting you on your journey."

"I'm quite sure it's not too much, but…" Seymour was about to speak.

"No, it's alright. We'll need all the help we can get, and it's nice to know that someone's looking out for us," Sora interrupted, not wanting to feel bad about the offers.

On Luna's part, while most of the others were distracted, she went over to the Fairy Godmother and embraced her as though she were someone dear that she had missed after years of not seeing her.

"It's very good to see you again, ma'am. It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Luna asked.

"Indeed, it has been years. Last I saw you, you were just a small child who had no idea where to direct her path," the kind fairy replied gently, "You've certainly grown into a beautiful young lady after all these years."

But then, Luna remembered something that worried her. "But…I don't understand. Where is Cinderella? Do you know whether or not she's alright?"

Fairy Godmother shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, I do not know where she is. The Heartless took her away as the darkness swallowed the world we had lived in. I was able to escape, but I have no knowledge as to where Cinderella was taken or whether she is alright." She tenderly rubbed Luna's shoulders in reassurance. "But I am certain that you'll be able to find her, Luna. You've known her well enough, so I believe that you might be able to find out what became of her."

Luna nodded in agreement. "You're probably right."

"Hey, Luna! Are you coming? We'd better get going if we want to find the keyhole."

When she realized that Sora was calling to her, Luna gave one more farewell to the kind-hearted fairy and hurried to keep up with everyone else. As she did, she noticed that Sora didn't have a clue about the person she knew about while Medea had an idea as to what the connection is between them.

"Was that another person you knew in the past?" Sora asked her.

"Yes…I knew her from ten years ago. She was the magical godmother of a princess I once knew as well," Luna replied, "She was very sweet and kind when I spoke to her, even though our meeting was short."

"Do you think we'll be able to meet other people you've met before?" Sora couldn't help wondering.

"Who knows? You'd be surprised how many people would know Luna the moment they lay their eyes on her," Medea answered for her. "Though, considering what that lady had said earlier, I wouldn't be too surprised if something happened to most of the places she's been to before."

That was something Luna couldn't deny after what she had just heard from Fairy Godmother; if something terrible happened to the good people she met as a child like Cinderella, it made her dread what might've befallen the other people she's met in the past. For that matter, if the Heartless took Cinderella, what happened to Snow White? What happened to the princess Aurora, even though she hadn't directly met her personally? Are there any other worlds she knew still around, for that matter?

The only way she'll ever be able to know is to keep travelling and, hopefully, she'll have an answer that can be found…


	9. Chapter 8: Explaining Luna's Whereabouts

**Merry Christmas, readers! Lilith here.**

 **And since a guest reviewer requested the explanation of where Luna had been all those years ago, here it is: signed, sealed, and delivered!**

 **I apologize if this chapter was much shorter than the last one, but I promise with the third part of our business in Traverse Town, it will be longer than before.**

 **That being said, hope you enjoy the holiday and enjoy what I have!**

 **Constructive reviews are welcome, rude ones are not.**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave a review, but no flames allowed.**

* * *

Chapter 8: Explaining Luna's Past

Not long after the group stepped back out into the familiar streets of Traverse Town, it was pretty clear that they still have some work to do in town. In fact, it was remembered by Donald (quite surprisingly) that they have those peculiar gummi blocks that they have no clue about, so it was unanimously agreed that they should pay a visit to someone who can explain about it and help them out on their usage.

"Maybe Cid might know how best to handle those gummi blocks," Donald said as they moved on.

Luna showed a puzzled look to Sora. "Who is this Cid? I don't think I've met this person."

Sora quickly remembered that she was somewhere else at the time. "Oh, yeah! You never met Cid, didn't you? I met him when I was trying to flee from the Heartless. He's a little gruff and sounds like a bit of a jerk, but he wasn't too bad."

Medea raised a brow at this. "Really? What'd he do, try to boot you out into the open so that he can do whatever the hell he pleases?"

"No, nothing like that! He just told me to keep searching for my friends when I didn't have a clue what to do on my own!" Sora insisted defensively.

"That's rather kind of him," Luna commented softly.

With Sora taking the lead (since he knew where this new face for Luna should be), they were able to follow the trail to a shop nestled within the district where the businesses would be at work. Upon entering the shop, Luna was able to get a look at the person she hadn't had the opportunity to meet yet.

The man inside the shop was apparently older than most of the fellow refugees (although nobody has bothered trying to ask about Shantotto's age previously, so what would they know?), with blond hair that stuck up like gathered straw and slightly grizzled facial hair around his chin; he had on a white short-sleeved top and blue pants with a wrapped orange belt around him and googles atop his head, as well as dark shoes and a bauble around his neck.

When he noticed that they had just come in, he certainly had something to say. "So, you're back, eh? I see you found one of yer friends. She looks kinda cute."

"Yeah, I found one so far. Cid, this is Luna," Sora introduced her, "She's lived on the islands with us ever since she was about five years old."

Luna gave a little bow of respect. "It's nice to meet you, Mister Cid. I'm sure Sora must've told plenty about me after finding you."

Cid gave a laugh when he heard that. "Wow, ain't she the polite one! You didn't mention that tidbit last I checked." Then, he noticed that she wasn't the only female outsider around here. "And who's the fiery redhead lurking right behind you? Never seen her around here."

Luna looked to her guardian and replied, "Her name is Medea. She's my Shadow Guardian. She may be a bit rude and short-tempered, but don't get her wrong: she's actually a very good person."

"'Sup?" was all Medea said back.

"So, what'd y'all come over here for? You got something to talk about, or do ya have a little business with me?" Cid asked them, getting straight to the point.

"Look what we found!" Donald said as he presented the gummi blocks they had discovered during their travels.

Cid took the blocks and examined them closely. "Well, if it ain't a gummi block…"

"What does it do?" Goofy asked.

Boy, was old Cid shocked to hear that. "What, are you kiddin' me! You're flying a gummi ship and you don't know nothing about navigation gummis? Bunch of pinheads. Interspace ain't no playground."

"There's a lot we don't know about. So what!" Sora protested. "We have to use the gummi ship to go to other worlds. We don't have much of a choice."

"Whoa, easy. I didn't know. No hard feelings, all right?" Cid insisted. "Well, I guess I could lend y'all a hand, then."

"Any help you can offer would be very appreciative, Mister Cid. Thank you," Luna said in gratitude.

"Hey, cut the whole 'mister' off, why don't 'cha? You're making me sound old!" Cid felt embarrassed at this. "Say, I got this thing I gotta go deliver. It's a book, and it's real old. When the guy brought it in, it was practically falling apart. In fact, it was too beat up to restore it to the way it was. But overall, I did a decent job puttin' it back together. Anyway, you mind deliverin' it for me?"

At his cue, he pulled out what appeared to a child's storybook with vintage touches on it; it was certainly a marvel to see such a rare thing around these parts. It certainly made them wonder why it was so important…

"Medea, have you ever seen this kind of book?" Luna asked, though she knew the answer already.

"Nope. I've never seen this kind of thing," Medea replied bluntly, "Who's supposed to get this old thing back?"

"I think I know: if he's saying 'old guy', he's most likely talking about Merlin," Sora guessed out of the blue.

"Then we'd better be on our way," Goofy stated the obvious.

"Alrighty, since we've got all of that taken care of, I'll get to work on your gummi ship and make some modifications on it," Cid said, "You guys go take care of whatever it is you're doing, and we'll talk later, eh?"

* * *

With all of that taken care of, Luna and the party left the shop so that Cid can do his work without disturbance while they searched around the town a little more with an important item in tow. Of course, just as they were passing by the tables outside another building, one inevitable thing had to be brought up once again.

"Well, since we've got matters with the ship covered, the only thing left we have to do is find the keyhole," Sora said.

"Not so fast, Sora! You promised to explain Luna's whereabouts when we got back from our travels, remember?" Donald stopped him.

That hit the two teens like a bunch of bricks on their heads; they did agree to explain everything to the best of their efforts after they've made their first trip across the worlds since Luna wasn't ready to tell her old friends where she had been all those years. But now that they're back in Traverse Town, a promise that was made had to be kept.

"Oh…right. Yeah, we were gonna do that," Sora remembered.

Luna hung her head a bit. "To be honest…I have no idea where to begin explaining everything."

"Well, how about we hear everything from Sora first, and then Luna can confirm anything she knows?" Goofy suggested.

Thinking that would be the best way to go, the group took some seats as the two islanders told their story, starting from the perspective of Sora.

"I'll be honest about it: the earliest memory I had about Luna was about ten years ago, at the very least. She was a curious and sweet girl, but a little shy," Sora told his side of the tale, "After she left the island for reasons I don't know, we had no idea whether we'd see her again. But then, a year later, we heard that an ill girl was discovered by the townsfolk and brought to the hospital for examination. When we heard about it, Riku and I went to see who it was, and…well…to our greatest shock, that girl was Luna."

"How was she ill?" Donald asked, rather uneasy about it.

"Her illness, according to the doctor who was monitoring her, was more on the mental and emotional," Sora replied, "What caused it and why, I don't know. All I know is that, after Kairi arrived on the island and both girls were adopted by the mayor of the town, all three of us did everything we could to help her overcome her mental instability until she was able to learn to be more independent."

This was certainly a lot for Donald and Goofy to take in, but when they heard this from Sora, they were certainly shocked to hear what Luna's conditions were prior to the disappearance of the worlds and the king's sudden departure.

"Gawrsh…we had no idea…" Goofy finally admitted, quite shocked to hear all of that.

Donald, unsure what to make of this, turned to Luna. "Say, Luna: do you remember how you got to the island?"

Luna shook her head sadly. "No…I have no idea how I got to the islands. In fact, I hardly recall what I was doing the moment I arrived. Some of it is a blur…The most clear memory I have is waking in a hospital, with a doctor and nurse checking me and talking to me."

Now it was the duck's turn to be stunned. "Really…?"

She nodded. "Later on, I not only saw Kairi again, but a kind couple came to see me and – under Kairi's persuasion – I was adopted along with her. I will not deny that it wasn't easy adjusting to the new life I had been given, but Hiroshi and Yoko were very patient and very kind to me. Even Sora and Riku made a lot of effort to help me get better and…well…I will admit that it was wonderful having the three as friends. I'm not sure where I would've been if none of them had been there to support me and take care of me when I was broken."

Again, this was a lot of information for Donald and Goofy to digest in one sitting, but just hearing what was wrong with Luna and where she had been living quietly all those years certainly helped verify where she had been without anyone knowing it. It was easy for the two to understand that Sora was being honest about what he knew of Luna's conditions and his experience with her, but to think that Luna herself had been living there, unknown to those who hadn't seen her in years and safe from intrusive eyes.

"Huh…So that's where Luna's been all along," Goofy finally said after putting the pieces together. "I wonder what the king would think if he learned about it."

Now Luna showed a puzzled look. "What do you mean, Goofy?"

"Oh, we didn't tell ya? Ever since you disappeared, King Mickey was afraid that something might've happened to you," the knight explained, "His Majesty tried to search for you whenever he could, but no matter where he looked, he couldn't find you anywhere."

Medea raised a brow at this. "Really? So that rodent actually tried to look for her, eh? That's a surprise."

"But now the king's disappeared for a different reason, and we have to find him," Donald had to put in.

"Don't worry about it. We'll find him, and we'll find our friends as well," Sora assured them. "They're out there somewhere."

"Maybe if we find them, we can figure out a way to help them," Luna agreed, "and maybe I could get answers from Mickey…"

As the party started to continue making their search in the town for the keyhole (and to take care of the delivery), none of them suspected that all of them were being watched somewhere from the shadows; whoever – or whatever it is – had their eyes clearly set on Sora and Luna, with neither of them aware of what is to come to them for the rest of their dangerous journey…


	10. Chapter 9: Riku, Maleficent, and Keyhole

**Let's see if any of my readers can figure out who the newest characters in this chapter are at the bottom.**

 **I'll give five brownie points to whoever can figure it out first.**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoy!**

 **Constructive (polite) reviews are welcome.**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave a review, but no flames allowed.**

* * *

Chapter 9: Riku, Maleficent, and Keyhole

Along the way through the town, it has been noticed that the Heartless are certainly getting more active as of late; but then again, they had to do whatever they could to help Traverse Town escape the problem with the black fiends. It certainly left them wondering how they're going to find this world's keyhole, or where on earth it could be for that matter. Maybe there's someone within the districts who would know where to start looking for such an important thing?

"You know…there is something I have to wonder about. Many of the people we have met are well aware of the dangers the Heartless pose, and I understand it quite well," Luna wondered, "But still…how are we going to be able to help Traverse Town if we don't know whether or not there is a keyhole here? Could there be someone who might know where it is?"

"I don't know. That hasn't crossed my mind, to be honest," Sora confessed with his hands behind his head.

But then, when it was least expected, a Heartless showed up out of almost completely nowhere and was about to make an advance on the party when – at another unexpected moment – something quickly slashed it out of existence. That was Luna and Sora got a surprise when the both of them saw who had just arrived to see them.

"There you both are. What's going on?"

Yep. The person who showed up to eliminate the single Heartless was none other than Riku. Both youngsters were shocked and relieved to find one of their friends after much dread and heartbreak they went through at the beginning.

"Riku…!" Sora exclaimed in shock. Before anyone knew it, he reached out and played with Riku's face until he was stopped.

"Hey, hey, cut it out," Riku chuckled lightly.

"We're not dreaming, right?" Sora asked, trying to make sense of everything.

"I hope not," Riku said with another chuckle, "Took me forever to find you two."

Sora turned to Luna, realizing that she hadn't done anything. "Luna, don't you wanna tell him you've missed him? We've found him, so say something!"

Luna, during all this, was initially struck dumb at finally seeing one of the close friends she had missed very much. But once Sora asked her if she had anything to say to Riku after being separated as long as they have, she instinctively ran over and hugged Riku tightly like she had been deprived of him for far too long.

"Riku…! I'm so glad you're okay," Luna said excitedly, "I was afraid that…Well, I don't know. I feared the worst after the horrible nightmare on the island!"

"I'm just glad you're alright, Luna. You nearly had me worried about your well-being since being separated, more so when you nearly drowned in the jungle," Riku admitted as he hugged her back.

That caught Sora's attention quickly. "Wait, what? You nearly drowned? Luna, what's he talking about?"

"Oh…I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Luna admitted guiltily, "When we were careening towards the jungle, I ended up falling into a lagoon and almost drowned…and then I woke up in the camp with Jane looking after me."

Donald gave Sora a bit of a death glare after Luna clarified what went on previously when they had crash-landed into Deep Jungle, which made the poor boy turn pale from knowing that he unintentionally caused Luna's fall in the first place.

But then, Sora was the first to realize something: even though Riku has finally been found, where was their other friend?

However, Luna beat him to it when she asked out of realization, "Wait…something's wrong. Where's Kairi?"

Riku was perplexed at this. "Isn't she with either of you?"

Both shook her heads sadly, knowing that neither of them has seen her since the horror on the island.

"Well, don't worry. I'm sure she made it off the island, too," Riku assured them. He then turned to look around the district. "We're finally free. Hey, she might even be looking for us, too."

When she heard all this, Luna couldn't help wondering what was going on with Riku. She had always known that he wanted to leave the island and see the outside, but she noticed in his tone that he seemed a bit too excited that he was finally able to leave his home and didn't sound too keen on returning for a good long while. Unbeknownst to her, though, Medea was also developing her own hint of suspicion on what might be churning within his mind; but unlike Luna, Medea's thoughts are filled with doubts on the silver-haired boy's honesty.

But Riku didn't notice as he continued to speak. "We'll all be together soon. Don't worry. Just leave everything to me. I know this –"

As this was happening, two Heartless showed up and were about to go after Riku when – when he least expected it – Sora struck one down with his Keyblade while Luna summoned a Shadow Hand to eliminate the other one. This made Riku turn around in surprise at what the two did just now.

Then, Sora gave a playful smirk as he heaved his blade on his shoulder. "Leave it to who?"

"Don't worry, Riku. We took care of the things," Luna said reassuringly.

The shock was obvious on their friend. "Sora, Luna, what did you…"

"We've been looking for you and Kairi, too, with their help," Sora said, indicating their other partners.

Riku gave their other friends a dark look. "Who are they?"

"They are two friends I used to know years ago," Luna explained, "and Sora just got to know them. They are very nice, I promise you."

Donald cleared his throat and was about to make introductions. "My name is –"

"We've visited many places and worlds, looking for you," Sora interrupted excitedly.

"And Kairi," Luna added.

Although Riku did give Luna a small smile when she mentioned Kairi, he still gave Sora the dark look in his gaze. She didn't understand what was going on with him. Was he jealous?

"Really? Well, what do you know?" Riku questioned. "I never would've guessed."

"Oh, and guess what? Sora's the Keyblade master and Luna's actually a Shadow Mage," Goofy said as he pats their shoulders.

"Who'd have thought it?" Donald commented.

"I sure as hell already knew about the latter," Medea muttered loud enough to be heard.

That irked Sora a bit. "What's that mean?"

"So, this is called a Keyblade?"

Everyone turned back to Riku and – much to the surprise of Sora and Luna – it was seen that he was holding the Kingdom Key, examining it like it was a rare masterpiece in contrast to the common weaponry. But the one thing that baffled the two was how he was able to take a look at it without the blade disappearing from his hands.

"Hey! Give it back," Sora demanded.

He tried to reach to get it back, but Riku moved back as he looked at the blade one more time. Then, after having enough of it, he tossed it back nonchalantly.

"Catch."

Albeit clumsily, Sora was able to grasp the Keyblade back into his own hands and held it tighter as though he doesn't want to lose it.

Then, Riku turned over to Luna and softened up a little. "What about you, Luna? What else do you have in your shadowy repertoire?"

Luna turned toward her Guardian. "Medea, could you come here, please?" At her request, Medea walked over to her master so that Riku could see her up close. "This is Medea, my Shadow Guardian. She's watched over me through most of my journey when I was but a little girl. She may be a bit crude with her words and short-tempered, but she's a very good person once you get to know her."

"Yeah, Luna wouldn't even be here now if I hadn't lent a hand back then," Medea boasted.

When Riku examined Medea, there was a different impression crossing through him; but unlike with the Keyblade in Sora's possession, his face showed a rather perplexed feeling with what to make of Medea. If anyone knew any better, it'd be suspected that he didn't have the faintest clue what to make of Luna's Shadow Guardian…at least, not at the moment.

"Quite an oddball, but I suppose she's useful," he commented afterwards.

Medea raised a brow at that. "Excuse me?"

"So, you're coming with us, right?" Sora asked, "We've got this awesome rocket. Wait 'till you see it!"

"No! He can't come!" Donald objected.

Sora got angry at that. "What?"

"Forget it!" the duck protested.

Luna was having none of it either. "But Donald, he's our friend! We've been looking everywhere for him and Kairi. Please, at least let him stay with either me or Sora. That'd be a relief for us."

"I don't care!" Donald refused.

Medea growled in irritation. "Look, duck! Just because you got a damn ship and you guys drive the piece of junk doesn't mean you make all the decisions around here!"

"He's gone," Goofy interrupted their argument.

Sora and Luna turned to find that Riku had suddenly vanished. This made Sora start to worry, and Luna began to feel very upset about all of this.

"Riku?" Sora called out. When he realized that his friend was nowhere to be found, he hung his head in disappointment.

On Luna's part, when she realized that she had just lost Riku again after all the trouble she went through to find him, fell to her knees and began to cry bitterly.

Sora saw this, and turned to Donald with a frown. "Nice going."

Then, Medea turned toward Donald, her face showing a strong urge to punish someone for their mishap. "I…am going…to kill you…YOU SELFISH DUCK!"

In an instant, Medea lunged out towards Donald with murder obviously seen in her eyes and her claws ready to tear apart the first thing they can get their hands on. When Donald realized that he was the target for serious pain, he panicked and began to run for dear life while he was being chased around by the vengeful Shadow Guardian.

While this was going on, Sora just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Oh, well. At least he's okay. And who knows? We might run into Kairi soon, too." Then, he turned to Luna and touched her gently. "Don't worry, Luna. We'll see him again. Maybe when we find both of them, we can find a way to be together for real. If we have to, I can force Donald to let them come with us."

Luna looked up with teary eyes. "Are you sure, Sora…?"

"Of course I'm sure. I've never been wrong about that yet, haven't I?" Sora said, cheering her up.

Moved by the idea, Luna got up and nodded in agreement. "Yes…I suppose you're right, Sora. We have to bring the both of them back to us. I want Riku and Kairi to be Medea's friend, too. I think they'd like her once they get past her quirks."

Her spiky friend gave her a silly grin. "See? That's the spirit, Luna! C'mon, let's keep going through town, huh?"

* * *

Of course, before continuing on their way, Luna had to calm Medea down before she could ever get her hands on Donald and Sora and Goofy had to warn him not to take her guardian's temper too lightly.

Just as they had come out of the place where they had crossed paths with Riku, the party got a bit of a surprise when one of their friends showed up, apparently looking for them. To their surprise, it was Larsa who came to see them personally; but what surprised them even more was that another person accompanied him along the way.

In this case, the new face was an individual wearing a suit of highly decorated plate armor from head to toe with a long black cape and a horned helmet in which obscured his face from prying eyes.

"Luna, Sora, is everything alright thus far? Have you found the keyhole?" Larsa asked.

"No, we haven't found the keyhole to this town. We did find Riku, though, but he disappeared as quickly as he came," Sora replied.

"We still haven't found Kairi, though…" Luna added sadly.

The armored warrior shook his head. "Just as I thought: more lost souls who are left on their own. I've heard that a boy with a keyblade and a girl with powers beyond our ken had arrived, but…to think that boy is the one who carries it."

Donald looked at the armored stranger suspiciously. "And just who are you?"

"This is Gabranth, my bodyguard. He has been watching over me for years," Larsa explained, "and has been of help to us repelling the Heartless as much as possible."

That caught Luna's attention as she connected the dots and regained memories of the new face she previously knew. "Gabranth…? What did you go through? Are you hiding something under that helmet?"

Despite her question, she could see that Gabranth turned his head away slightly, as though he had unfortunate things that he didn't want to discuss about.

"So, Larsa, did you come looking for us?" Sora asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Larsa replied, "Leon and the others have something important to discuss with you. They're at the small house at the third district."

"Why do I have a feeling that whatever the subject is will not be a pleasant discussion for the faint of heart?" Medea questioned with suspicion.

* * *

With Larsa and Gabranth's guidance, they were able to meet up with the rest of their comrades to find out what was up. But when they got there, it was quickly noticed that there was a very intensely dark cloud hovering over everyone's heads; this unnerved the party a bit since they didn't have any idea what was going on.

"…Um…Why is everyone…?" Sora was at a loss for words.

"Is everything alright? What's the matter?" Luna asked them.

Cid was the first to speak up. "You guys ever hear of Maleficent? I hear she's in town."

"Not to mention making a lot more trouble than we already are in," Zidane added bitterly.

Sora got confused at this. "Male – who? Who is she?"

"A witch, man! She's a witch!" Yuffie growled bitterly. "We lost our world because of her!"

"She's the reason this town is full of Heartless," Leon added, "Don't take her lightly."

"She's been using the Heartless for years," Aerith explained sadly, "One day; a swarm of Heartless took over our world. That was nine years ago."

"I got out of that mess and came with here these guys, even the ones who lived in the castle," Cid added, pointing at their other comrades.

The moment Luna heard the name of the witch involved in these dark times, her face hardened with extreme bitterness as her eyes gave a very cold, dark look. Medea quickly noticed this, and had an idea on what she's thinking regarding that name.

Seymour noticed this, and asked carefully, "Is that wretched name familiar to you, Luna?"

"Yes…it is. I know who Maleficent is. I've met her before…" Luna answered icily, "She did terrible things years before. She did bad things to my brother…she tried to do harm to an innocent person…and she tried to mock us with her foolish talk of the darkness like she thinks the dark is everything, when she is nothing but an arrogant weakling who knows nothing!"

Donald was stunned at the terrible things he heard. "That's awful!"

"If you think that is awful, funny little quack, then you'd be surprised who else would be considered a villain on crack," Shantotto commented.

"But that's not all. Our ruler was a wise man named Ansem," Leon brought up another matter. "He dedicated his life to studying the Heartless."

"Yeah, he was quite the busy guy, what with leading an entire kingdom and doing whatever it took to keep things from going wrong," Zidane added.

"His report should tell us how to get rid of the Heartless," Cid said, hoping for a miracle.

"Oh, really? Then where the hell is this report?" Medea asked.

Leon shook his head. "We don't know. It got scattered when our world was destroyed."

Oddly, nobody noticed that Luna had a faintly puzzled look on her face when she heard the name 'Ansem' as though she should know what it is (but didn't have a clue where). But then again, the only ones who had an awareness of her mindset were Larsa, Shantotto, Seymour and Gabranth; their knowing looks gave indications that they know something the rest of the group didn't. The question is, what is it?

"One way or another, I am sure Maleficent has most of the pages," Larsa confessed, continuing to play along.

"That doesn't help things one bit," Medea commented in frustration.

"But we still don't know where Traverse Town's keyhole could possibly be," Luna brought up, "Is there any potential clue as to where we could look?"

Aerith seemed to contemplate on it, and then had one idea on her. "Well, I've been thinking about the bell in the Second District, the one above the gizmo shop. But it's boarded up, and no one can go there."

"Heck, go check it out. Ring it three times to see if anything happens," Zidane encouraged them.

"Cool! We'll go take a look at it," Sora said eagerly as he was about to lead the party out the door.

"Wait a moment."

Luna and Sora stopped a moment to find Seymour stand up with Alex in his hands. Was there something they missed?

"If it's not too much trouble, may I go with you? You probably don't know where the bell would be, so allow me to guide you there," Seymour offered.

Luna looked toward Sora, and she could easily tell that he was quite surprised that someone would want to come along with them. But then again, given how they still don't entirely know the ins and outs of the whole town, what's the harm in having someone to guide them towards something that might be important and could solve the puzzle on stopping the Heartless.

"Alright, Seymour, you can come with us," Luna agreed willingly. She turned to Goofy. "Are you okay with it?"

"Gawrsh, I don't see why not," Goofy replied jovially.

It was pretty clear to Sora that she didn't want to talk with Donald for a while because of what had happened earlier. Since there was nothing he could do about that right now, it was best to just roll with it until they can talk about it later.

* * *

"Seymour, is it alright if I ask you something?"

After it was agreed upon that a guide would be very appreciative in the long run, the group allowed Seymour to lead them to the location of the gizmo shop where the bell could possibly be.

Of course, after hearing about the tragic events that happened to their new friends and what brought forth their refuge in Traverse Town, Luna couldn't help feeling sorry for them as evil forces have caused so much pain to those who really didn't deserve to suffer so badly. Still, she couldn't help wondering if she was missing something after all that she had heard from them; not to mention, she wished she knew what happened to other people who have experienced these horrific disasters.

Seymour turned to Luna with a curious look. "What is it, Luna?"

"Can you tell me how Alex was able to escape being lost along with his home world?" Luna asked. "How did he get here?"

The half-blood sorcerer took a breath before he explained what he could. "Most of our group doesn't know about it, but the reason he was able to barely escape his world was because I was there. The professor sent me to warn other worlds of the dangers by the hands of the Heartless, but – most unfortunately – everywhere I went, numbers of worlds were disappearing left and right. When I arrived at his world, the poor child was being sorted among other transformed boys to be either illegally sold to harsh places or to be taken back to who knows where, but were nonetheless treated so cruelly." He paused. "When the Heartless began to overrun the carnival and its inhabitants, Alexander was the only child I was able to rescue from being swallowed into the abyssal shadows and bring to Traverse Town for his protection. We do what we can to look after him, but the poor child will undoubtedly require a family to properly take care of him."

Luna lowered her head sadly at the information. "That's terrible…to be all alone like that."

"I am quite certain there are other refugees who have also experienced such things when they came here," Seymour confessed solemnly.

Just then, Sora interrupted them when he said, "Hey, I think I can see where the bell might just be! We'll go on ahead and take care of things up there. Think you wait down here until you get any signs of something happening, Luna?"

"I'll be alright, Sora. You go on ahead," Luna said reassuringly, "I'll wait here, don't worry."

While Sora took Donald and Goofy to look for the bell so they can ring it as per the given instructions, Luna waited on the ground until she got indications that they did it.

"Will the Heartless stop coming when that keyhole's found?" Alex asked suddenly.

Luna turned toward the child and smiled softly. "Of course they will, Alex. Nobody wants those monsters bothering them for too long. Once Sora and I deal with the threats, you'll have nothing to worry about."

After a few minutes of waiting, Luna heard the sound of the bell ringing three times from above, which meant that Sora had found it and rang it as they were supposed to. But then, she heard the sound of something stony shifting around from somewhere in the vicinity; promptly, she turned around to find that the stone cube that was nestled behind the gorgeously crafted fountain had turned and revealed a keyhole right in front of where a mural would've been. That meant only one thing for them…

Luna hastily turned back and called out, "Sora! There's the keyhole!"

"I see it! Hang on, we'll be right down!" her friend answered from above as he starting to make his way down.

Unfortunately, after Sora and company had arrived and joined Luna to inspect the keyhole in the fountain, the party already got themselves a problem on their hands – and it had to be a Heartless they were way too familiar with…

Medea groaned when she saw it. "Dammit! Not that thing again!"

"Didn't we already fight the flying pieces of armor the last time we were here?" Sora complained.

Luna had other worries on her mind. "Seymour, you'd better get out of here, quickly!"

Once it was sure that nobody was going to get caught in the crossfire, Luna and Sora were able to keep their focus on fighting another round with the Guard Armor. Aside from a few new tricks, it was a bit easier to take down than the first time they dealt with it.

As soon as the pieces fell, Donald got suspicious about this. "That was too easy…"

"Really? Shouldn't it be gone by now?" Goofy wondered.

That was when the party got a big surprise that none of them were too well prepared for: the pieces of the Guard Armor got back up after that beating it went through, but then it abruptly changed its positioning in which the feet acted as arms and arms acted as the legs; not only that, but the helmet changed drastically to give off a more menacing look to it.

"Oh, great, so now that thing's gonna try and handle things the opposite way, isn't it?" Medea deadpanned with a growl.

"I suppose there's no way out of it, isn't there?" Luna sighed in disappointment.

From there, the fight with the Opposite Armor (very intuitive name) was a bit of a bigger challenge than they thought it would be. However, they took the smart route by having select members dealing with certain parts of the armor: Goofy maintained defenses against the wildly swinging feet that would try to pound them while Sora and Medea worked their efforts on taking out the main body and the hands down below (though sometimes Sora mixed it up with a few rounds of spells that he had practiced with Donald on the gummi ship); Luna concentrated on using her Shadow Hands to shoot out magic spells against the head until it could no longer keep its stability.

After some trials and tribulations, the monstrous hunk of armor finally clattered onto the ground and vanished into nothing until a heart appeared and flew away freely. Now all that had to be done was lock the keyhole.

"Go ahead, Sora. You do your part," Luna said as she caught her breath.

As usual, Sora held his keyblade out, and a beam of light shot out; then, a locking sound came out and the keyhole, with its role accomplished, disappeared, never to be disturbed by anything ever again.

Seymour arrived on scene afterwards, relieved to find the town was finally free from the Heartless threat. "Excellent job, all of you. Traverse Town will surely be able to rest in peace now that the Heartless have been driven out of this place."

"But I feel rather tired after all that we went through," Luna admitted, feeling a bit of weakness in her legs.

"Then we'd better find a place to sleep until we're ready to travel again," Sora agreed, rubbing his arms as though they'd gotten sore from overexertion.

* * *

In a unanimous agreement, everyone settled on the idea of staying at the inn for the night before preparing for their next journey and seeing what other worlds they can find. It was quite refreshing to be able to rest before delving into potentially dangerous territories, especially since – most surprisingly – they were able to get a rather great deal to get places to sleep (most likely because the innkeeper was very glad to be able to keep the business without any Heartless bothering anyone anymore).

After a well-earned rest, they were ready to keep on going through their journey to search for other worlds that need saving. But first, it was agreed that it would be in their best interest to stock up on potions, ethers, and a few other things as well as the necessary food materials they could bring along so that they can have proper meals during their travels across the roads to the worlds. Luna handled the grocery shopping with Medea while Sora and Goofy were handling the battle-required remedies and Donald was checking up on the gummi ship to find out whether it was ready to go.

However, on their way to the gummi ship, both ladies got themselves a bit of a strange scene when they saw what seemed like two childlike dolls walking around the streets. The boy doll – in a frilled long-sleeve shirt with a read vest, blue pants, white breeches and brown shoes – was searching every nook and cranny of the streets, while the girl doll – wearing a bright red flounced dress and brown shoes, and a red ribbon in her curled hair – merely looked around with her glassy eyes as though trying to find a sign of something familiar. After a few moments of scouting around the entire area, the two joined back together, and shook heads sadly at each other before moving on to another part of the district.

Luna couldn't help but wonder what she was seeing a few moments ago. She had seen her share of strange things and people, but nothing at this level. Who – or what – were those peculiar individuals?

"Medea, what do you suppose those poor things are looking for?" Luna questioned out of curiosity.

"Heck if I know. But, man, those two were just…weird. Hell, they didn't even say a word throughout the whole damn thing," Medea replied, "Not to mention, something about them didn't seem…human."

Luna contemplated on that, wondering what they could be and what they wanted. It was certain that they weren't Heartless; they already made sure those things no longer pestered Traverse Town. Perhaps if she met them again, she might find out more about them and learn about what their objective is.

"I suppose investigating them will have to wait," Luna said as she started to keep moving, "We'd better hurry back to the gummi ship and get ready to leave."

"Yeah, well, if that duck tries to do anything funny, I am gonna hunt him down until he swears that he'd quit acting like he's the boss," Medea said, her grudge still evident.

"Now, Medea, I know you're mad at Donald, but please don't kill him," Luna warned her, "If he does anything wrong or stupid, you can yell at him all you want. But don't do anything murderous to him please?"

Medea sighed. "Alright, alright, if you insist."


	11. Chapter 10: Agrabah

**And the winner for the previous chapter's guessing game is...Guest reviewer Samantha! Five brownie points to you from yours truly! Yes, it is none other than the dolls from FF4. They'll have further involvement when I reach preparations for Hollow Bastion...which is all I'm gonna spoil for you.**

 **...And now, back to our scheduled posting on the latest chapter.**

 **So, anyways, Agrabah. Yeah, I made some tweaks in certain places. No big deal. But, on the bright side, I really wanted to do something interesting for certain confrontations (mainly the Genie-Jafar battle) and...oh, man...I can't take the Genie seriously even in the games.**

 **With all that being said, enjoy!**

 **To (Guest) Lightning: Things are just gonna get more interesting from here. Trust me.**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, review, but no flames.**

* * *

Chapter 10: Agrabah

As they flew off to their newest destination (thanks to the modifications that Cid made for them so that they can reach more worlds and commence more investigations), Luna felt like she needed a moment to herself as she tried to put together all that she had been experiencing thus far. Fortunately for her, her friends understood that she needed her personal space once in a while; though, there was no avoiding her guardian Medea since she wasn't the type to leave her be and for good reason.

Of course, Luna couldn't help but think back at the things that happened and grew very concerned about the situation. When they met up with Riku, she couldn't understand what was going on with him. She barely noticed that he seemed to be…upset about something, jealous even. Why would he? It wasn't like she and Sora were replacing him or Kairi, far from it. Granted, Sora was new to having different friends, but Luna knew Donald and Goofy previously and it was when they were merely acquaintances. Sure, she did notice that Riku was still inviting to her, but it still unnerved her that there was something dark about his behavior. She wished she knew what he went through to develop that sort of mindset.

Then, there was the matter of what the Fairy Godmother had told her. It worried her to learn that something horrible happened to the world she lived in and knowing that Cinderella disappeared in the midst of the chaos. It made her wonder if any of the other princesses she had known in her past were alright, or if they've disappeared as well; if that was the case, what was there to gain from kidnapping innocent women who were so pure in heart?

"I know what you're thinking: you're wondering if you're missing something in all this," Medea suddenly spoke up from the corner, "Don't sweat too much about it. Besides, if anything serious happened to those ladies you knew then, you would've known."

Luna nodded in agreement. "I suppose you're right, Medea. But even so, what about Riku? I don't understand what's wrong with him."

"If you ask me, he's misunderstanding the whole thing. You've been working your ass off looking for him, and even went so far as to travel with people you've known briefly in order to get help," Medea commented, "That being said, that duck shouldn't have refused him so impudently! Seriously, I swear he's being a bossy jackass and hasn't even bothered doing a background check on him!"

That was one thing Luna couldn't help agreeing on. If it were up to her, she would've allowed anyone to come along if it meant making sure that their friends are okay and helping them befriend the fellows she had known before. Perhaps the next time other people are given the chance to travel with them, she'll make the decision in Donald's place, and if she has to, she'll force Donald to cooperate should he continue to make unfair refusals.

Just then, Sora opened up her cabin door and came in to speak with her for a moment.

"Hey, Luna, we're about to approach the next world," Sora told her, "and it looks like it's going to be a desert world. We'd better get ready for this world."

"Alright, we'll be there in a moment. Thank you," Luna answered.

"A desert world, huh? Something tells me that we're gonna be involved in something way different than the norm," Medea commented.

* * *

Speaking of which, within the lowly streets of a city stretched between the vast desert and the grand palace that snugly nestled a ways away from the abodes and merchant stalls, two sinister individuals were passing by and were discussing matters that obviously meant ill on the desert world. The woman in black – who is now known to be Maleficent – was talking to the resident of the world, who gave off a darker Arabic feel in contrast to the lighter atmosphere.

"…And the keyhole?" she had asked.

"The Heartless are searching for it now. I'm certain we'll find it soon enough," the red-robed man reassured the witch. "So that just leaves…"

A bird squawk was heard not a moment too soon, and right on cue, a red parrot came flapping down frantically as he perched onto his master's shoulder while trying to catch his breath.

"Jafar! I've looked everywhere for Jasmine. She's disappeared like magic!" the parrot reported in.

Jafar knew that was coming. "The girl is more trouble than she's worth."

Maleficent gave Jafar a little glare when she heard this. "You said you had things under control."

"Agrabah is full of holes for rats to hide in," Jafar replied. "But why worry about Princess Jasmine? With her or without her, surely this world will be ours when we find the keyhole."

"We need all seven Princess of Heart to open the final door. Any fewer is useless," the witch explained.

That got the vizier's attention. "Well, if the princess is that important, we'll find her." Heartless appeared at the moment he gave an order. "Find Jasmine and bring her to me at once."

Just as the parrot, Iago, and a group of bandit Heartless started making their way through the city to locate the missing princess, Maleficent had a word of warning to give before making her departure.

"Don't steep yourself in darkness too long. The Heartless consume the careless," she warned him.

Jafar laughed at this. "Your concern is touching, but hardly necessary."

* * *

Meanwhile, Luna and Sora and the others had just landed in the new world and, sure enough, they could already feel the drastic change of climate from the moment they stepped within the city. It was certainly no joke that the world was surrounded by desert, and it didn't help that the heat felt rather cumbersome.

"It's so hot out here…" Luna sighed in displeasure as she tried to fan herself.

"Seriously, how on earth do these people deal with this crazy climate?" Medea questioned irritably.

"I've been through warm summers back on the island, but this is ridiculous!" Sora agreed as he wiped his brow.

"Gee, are you guys gonna be okay? Luna looks like she'd pass out at any moment," Goofy asked in concern.

"That'd be really bad," Donald admitted.

"Who's there? Hello?"

At the sound of the female voice, everyone stopped in their tracks and turned around to see a young woman emerge from behind a pile of crates. Judging from her simple yet elegant turquoise green attire and the simple jewelry she had on her, it was possible for them to speculate that she must be the princess of this world. But on Luna's part, she sensed something very special about her…but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it is.

"Hello there. Who are you, ma'am?" Luna asked first.

"I'm Jasmine. My father is the sultan of Agrabah," the princess replied.

Goofy caught on what that meant. "Uh…So that makes you a princess."

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Medea deadpanned.

Jasmine gave a sad frown. "But he has been deposed by Jafar, who now controls the city."

"Who's Jafar?" Luna asked, not liking where it was going.

"You haven't heard of him? He's the royal vizier," Jasmine was surprised at this. "He's gained evil powers and seized Agrabah. He's desperately looking for something – something he calls a 'keyhole'." She shook her head. "Jafar caught me trying to escape, but he helped me."

"Who helped you?" Sora asked.

Jasmine shrugged a bit. "We were hiding nearby, but he left a while ago to take care of something… Oh, I hope Aladdin's alright."

Before they could get any more out of her and find out what she was talking about, they were interrupted at the worst of moments.

"Aladdin? Where might I find this street rat?"

Everyone immediately looked up to find that someone had found them, and no doubt about it, it had to be the evil vizier Jafar.

"Jasmine, allow me to find you more suitable company, my dear princess," he said with ill intention in his voice. "These little rats won't do, you see."

"Rats?! You're the damned rat around here!" Medea retorted angrily as she formed her claws.

"Jasmine, run!" Sora ordered as he pulled out his keyblade.

"You have to get out of here!" Luna agreed as she summoned her Shadow Hands.

Immediately, the princess ran off while the vizier was preoccupied with the new faces. But the instant he saw the keyblade and Luna's conjurations, there was a twisted sense of intrigue creeping on the villain's face.

"Ah, the boy who holds the key and the girl who conjures the shadows," Jafar said wickedly.

That was when a group of Heartless in the form of desert bandits appeared within the alley to attack the party while the vile advisor left to attend to other matters. Granted, the new adversaries were no ballpark, but regardless they destroyed all the fiends before moving on with their search. As soon as they were gone, the party took a moment to discuss matters that needed to be sorted out they could know where to go from there.

"That guy was really creepy. He sounded like he had very bad plans for Jasmine," Sora commented.

"It sounds like that. There was something special about her," Luna agreed with concern. "But I wonder…who could've helped her escape from Jafar before leaving elsewhere?"

"Who knows? But maybe we should find this Aladdin and see if he can help," Donald suggested.

"Compared to you, I'm pretty sure he'd be of a lot more help around these parts," Medea commented sarcastically.

"Hey!"

"Then we'd better skedaddle for a little bit and find Aladdin," Goofy said, interrupting any possible argument.

* * *

It was settled then. If they were ever to get any help while they're searching around Agrabah for the keyhole, they'll have to find this person and see if he can provide some assistance. But the only question that remains is, where are they going to be able to find him? Fortunately, that question was answered for them when – all of a sudden – a flying carpet soared right towards them, frantically gesturing them to the vast desert sands outside of the city.

"Where'd that thing come from?" Donald had to ask.

Medea was confounded. "How the hell is that rug flying around like that? Or expressing itself, for that matter?"

Luna, on the other hand, was very curious. "Hello there. Is there something wrong?"

The carpet gestured once more out towards the desert, and then flew around all of them until it began to head out towards the exit of the city.

"Maybe it wants us to follow into the desert. Come on!" Sora called as he started to follow it.

"Sure looks like it," Goofy agreed as he followed close behind.

By the time they got out into the desert, the party found themselves crossing paths with the carpet again. But this time, it straightened itself out as though it wanted them to ride on it. But then it was realized that there was one matter that needs resolve.

"There doesn't seem to be enough room on this thing," Sora noticed.

"Now what do we do?" Donald asked.

Luna turned to her guardian. "Medea, do you think you could do it again?"

"Lend some wings? Sure thing, girl," Medea guessed, knowing where it was going.

With enough energy, Medea formed black wings from her back and picked up Luna like she's a small baby. Thanks to that, the rest of the group simply hopped onto the carpet and everyone began flying at full speed out into the desert to locate Aladdin. Sure enough, what they came to find was the very person they were looking for along with a small monkey trapped in the sinking sands. But before they could move in to help them, a group of Heartless showed up to try and impede their progress.

"Out of our way!" Sora demanded.

While Sora, Donald and Goofy kept the Heartless occupied with them, Luna conjured her Shadow Hands and used them to reach in the sand and pull out the two and onto more solid ground. But by the time she did, more Heartless showed up to give them trouble when they didn't want it.

"Dammit, these guys just won't quit!" Medea growled irritably.

That was when Aladdin pulled out what looked like a vintage oil lamp, and immediately rubbed it like it'd do something amazing.

"Genie, get rid of these guys!" he called.

Then, in a flash of bluish smoke and brightly colored sparks, a rather comical-looking blue entity with blue skin appeared before their very eyes.

"Wish number one, coming right up!" the Genie laughed excitedly.

With just a snap of his fingers, the Heartless that surrounded them magically disappeared into thin air without any resistance whatsoever. Everyone was quite stunned to see this, and turned with either fascinated or dumbfounded faces at the new faces they had certainly met in rapid succession.

"How did he…?" Luna was about to ask what happened.

"Can we discuss about that later? Let's get the hell outta here before more show up!" Medea ordered.

* * *

After moving a significant distance away from the site the Heartless had bothered them, Sora and Luna took the liberty to explain to Aladdin what they were doing in Agrabah without giving away too much. Thankfully, he took in what they were willing to tell them and understood the situation at hand.

"I see… Thanks, Sora, Luna," he thanked them for what they did.

"Aladdin, what're you doing out here?" Sora had to ask.

"Same old stuff. Hunting legendary treasure," Aladdin answered, "Just paid a visit to the Cave of Wonders. I found the magic carpet, and this lamp. Legend has it that whoever holds the lamp can summon the –"

"Please, kid, leave the introductions to a professional. The one and only GENIE OF THE LAMP!" Genie interrupted excitedly, "Rub-a-dub-dub the lamp and have your dearest wishes granted. Today's winner is…Aladdin! Congratulations!"

With how over-the-top and spontaneous the Genie was behaving, Luna couldn't help but giggle at the antics of the enthusiastic fellow. She had never seen such an individual so perky and overly comical in her life.

Medea couldn't help shaking her head at this. "Is this guy seriously a Genie? He sounds more like a parlor trick comedian…"

Donald was certainly curious about the whole 'wishes' part. "Any wish?"

"Patience, my fine, feathered friend! Any three wishes! A one wish, a two wish, a three wish," the Genie continued, "Then I make like a banana and split! Our lucky winner made his first wish - and let me tell you, what a doozy that wish was – so he has two wishes left. So, master, what'll you have for Wish Number Two?"

 _I wonder what I would've wished for_ , Luna thought.

Aladdin thought about it for a moment. "Well, how about making me a fabulously wealthy prince?"

"Oooh! Money! Royalty! Fame! Why didn't I think of that?" Genie exclaimed jovially, "Okay, you asked for it! A hundred servants and a hundred camels loaded with gold! Just say the word, and I'll deliver it in thirty minutes or less, or your meal's free! Hey, I'll even throw in a cappuccino!"

"What the hell's he talking about?" Medea questioned, having trouble keeping up.

"I don't know about that, but water wouldn't be a bad thing to have right now," Luna admitted quietly.

"No thanks. I think I'll put that on hold until we reach Agrabah," Aladdin declined politely.

"Uh, why a prince?" Goofy asked out of curiosity.

"You see, there's this girl in Agrabah named Jasmine. But she's a princess, and I'm…Aw, she could never fall for a guy like me," Aladdin confessed, a small embarrassed blush on his face.

"Oh, how romantic…" Luna mused with a blush.

That was when it hit Sora like a brick wall. "Oh, that's right! She's in trouble, Aladdin!"

Boy, he sure was horrified at the news. "What? Well, c'mon, let's get going!"

"About damn time we booked it back to town," Medea said as she sprouted her wings again.

Like they did before, Sora and the animal friends hopped on the carpet but with Aladdin joining them this time while Luna was carried by Medea as she flew not far behind them; the Genie simply flew by on his own and was able to keep pace with the rest of the party.

"Ah, fresh air! The great outdoors!" Genie sighed in relief as he stretched his arms.

"I guess you don't get out much, huh?" Sora asked.

"Comes with the job. Phenomenal cosmic powers," Genie replied, "Itty-bitty living space. It's always three wishes, and then back to my portable prison. I'm lucky to see the light of day every century or two…"

"Oh…that sounds lonely," Luna said sadly, "That does remind of some things…"

That was when Aladdin had a thought. "Say, Genie, what if I use my last wish to free you from the lamp? What do you think?"

That perked the Genie quite a bit. "You'd do that?"

Aladdin smiled. "Genie, it's a promise. After we help Jasmine."

* * *

By the time they did get back to the city entrance, it was immediately clear that the number of Heartless making their appearances was getting a lot worse. That meant only one thing for them: they'll have to fight through the horde so they could locate the princess.

"You don't suppose Jafar is getting desperate in his search, don't you?" Luna asked with unease in her voice.

"So, Jafar is after Jasmine and this 'keyhole'," Aladdin wondered.

"You bet your ass he is," Medea answered like it was already obvious.

"Keyhole, eh? I could swear I've heard about that somewhere before…" Genie pondered the thought.

"Really? Where?" Donald asked.

"Now, where was it? It's only been 200 years…" Genie tried to remember.

"Well, anyway, we've got to stop Jafar before it's too late!" Sora interrupted, not wanting to waste a minute.

* * *

Unfortunately for them, by the time they had mowed down any Heartless that got in their way and crossed through the dusty streets in search for the missing princess of the desert kingdom, the party was too late. Jafar had already cornered the princess, and he was about to take her away against her will. To make the matter worse, the moment they set foot within vicinity of the two, Jafar quickly noticed them coming.

"Setting your sights a little high, aren't you, boy?" he asked dismissively. "Back to your hole, street rat. I will not allow you to trouble the princess anymore."

"Looks who's talking, hypocrite! You're the one who's giving the lady a lot of trouble!" Medea retorted.

"I'm so sorry, Aladdin," Jasmine apologized. She tried to reach to Aladdin, but Jafar wouldn't let her.

Aladdin reached to the lamp and started to make another wish. "Genie, help Jasmine. Please!"

In an instant, Genie made his appearance and scooped up Jasmine – which did surprise Jafar a bit.

"One wish left! You're making this really easy, you know," Genie said.

But while nobody else was paying attention, Luna saw from the corner of her eye a parrot swooping by and snatching the lamp form Aladdin's hands. Before she could warn them, Jafar had a nasty move up his sleeve.

"So sorry, boy. I'm afraid your second wish has been denied," he said with a devilish grin.

When Aladdin realized what had happened, it was already too late. The parrot had already brought the magic lamp over to Jafar. That meant he can do what he wants with the Genie now.

Genie drooped in depression. "Sorry, Al…"

Just as he disappeared back into the lamp, Jasmine dropped right into a clay pot, but then it suddenly sprouted spidery legs and walked away with the villain's intended prize. But it only got worse from there…

"And now, I bid you all farewell," Jafar laughed as he started to vanish. "Attack!"

"You're gonna regret treating a woman like an object, you jackass!" Medea cursed angrily.

"Never mind that now! We've got other problems!" Sora pointed out what was going on now.

Suddenly, before their eyes, the pots around the place formed insect appendages and joined together with the head and the tail end of a new Heartless that took the shape of a centipede. All that had to be done was smash the sections apart until only the rest of its body remained for the kill.

By the time they were done, they could Jafar's evil laugh echo from outside.

"To the desert! C'mon, let move!" Aladdin ordered.

"We have to hurry before Jafar does any more harm," Luna agreed worriedly.

Immediately, everyone hightailed out of the city and back into the vast desert once more to follow Jafar's trail. Their chase led the party all the way back to the sandy dunes where they had first found Aladdin and saved them, but this time around, something different occurred once they had set foot on the sandy ground. With a loud rumble, the sands violently shifted into the shape of giant tiger's head but with the formation of an entrance into a cave hidden from prying eyes; however, there was something off about it: there was a dangerous dark aura surrounding it, and it was actually trying to attack them with small packs of Heartless!

"Someone really doesn't like us at all," Medea commented irritably.

"The Cave of Wonders is the only place Jafar could've gone," Aladdin pointed out, not liking the situation.

"We have to get in! Do something about that poor thing," Luna insisted.

The good news was that it didn't take much effort to stop the Cave from causing so much trouble; all that had to be done was to smack its eyes until it was freed from the brainwashing (if it could called that). From there, it was possible for them to enter the Cave of Wonders and find Jafar before he locates and exploits the keyhole for his own selfish gains.

But partway inside, the party has run into one problem: in order to find a way to proceed further in, they needed to go deeper into the cavern and find a way through.

"Let's see if we can find a solution down below," Sora suggested, pointing down into the dark pit below the chamber.

But Luna felt paralyzed by how dark it was down there. "Down…there? No…I don't like it. It's too dark…"

"Oh, for crying out loud… Luna, don't tell me you're chickening out now!" Medea groaned in dismay.

"Luna, we've got to keep going!" Donald reminded her.

She shook her head. "No…It's too dark down there. It scares me… Please, go without me."

Sora looked at her with concern. "Are you sure, Luna?"

Luna nodded her head timidly, allowing him to know that she won't go any further with them.

"Okay…I understand, Luna. We'll come back as quickly as we can," Sora promised her. "When we're on our way, we'll let you know, okay?"

Luna nodded in agreement.

"If it's all the same to you, I'll just stay with Luna. Besides, I'm a tad beat from all that Heartless pounding we've been doing," Medea said as she sunk back into Luna's shadow. "Not to mention, all that flying I did has worn me out a notch."

So, that was settled: while Sora led the rest of the group down into the dark chambers below, Luna stayed up here alone (well, not quite since Medea is most likely keeping an eye out from within her shadow). She did feel guilty for not joining with them, but she knew that some parts of her oldest fears had a way of hindering her ability to keep going when she didn't want it to; still, she wished had a way to face it without such a problem hurting her.

"Why does it always scare me like this? It hurts too much…" Luna asked herself.

"What are you doing here, Luna?"

She jolted a bit, and turned around to find Riku right behind her. How did he get there without her knowing it?

"Riku! Sorry…it's just that…" Luna hesitated. "I got scared, going down there in that place…"

Riku looked down at where she was looking. "Sora's not with you. He left you behind?"

"No, no, it's not that. That dark place scared me," Luna protested, shuffling her feet shyly. "I didn't want to go down because the dark place was…well…you know. But Sora promised not to take too long. And Medea's still with me, only resting."

"Why do you keep travelling with Sora anyway? He's been dragging you all over the place along them," Riku questioned with a hint of annoyance, "and you haven't found Kairi, for that matter. Don't you want to find her, Luna?"

"I do want to find Kairi. But…we just don't know where to look," Luna insisted as she started walking a bit, "Also…I can't leave Sora on his own. He's not as experienced with fighting monsters like I am, since he's never had to deal with these terrible things in his life as I did. If I had a way to know where Kairi is…" She sighed sadly. "If I knew how to find her, I would've done it the moment we arrived in Traverse Town."

A small explosion sound was heard far down below, making Luna turn around and try to find out what was going on.

"I guess you need some time to think things over. Just don't stick with Sora forever," Riku said as he walked away.

"Riku, what do you mean by…?" Luna was about to ask what he meant, but when she turned back, she saw that he was gone.

 _'_ _What the hell was he saying to ya? It sounded like he wanted you to come with him or something,'_ Medea questioned in her shadow.

"I'm not sure. But why would he think Sora was dragging me everywhere…?" Luna replied, just as confused as her guardian was. "I don't understand why he was thinking like that…"

 _'_ _Yeah, well, you'd better be more careful all the same,'_ Medea warned firmly.

Moments after, Sora and the others came back to get her and continue with their hunt for Jafar.

"Luna, we've opened up a way to the Lamp Chamber. We just have to get through the Treasure Room and we'll be there in no time," Sora explained to her.

"That's good to know. We'd better hurry," Luna said, trying not to show what she was feeling at the moment.

After traversing deeper into the cave's chamber, the party finally found the entrance into the Lamp Chamber where Jafar has both the princess and the Genie with him.

* * *

However, just ahead of them, it was discovered that there are a few problems to deal with. First of all, most likely due to the demands of the evil vizier, the keyhole of Agrabah had been found and exposed. To make the matter worse than it already is, not only was Jafar there, but Maleficent has also made an appearance; and apparently, she had just been informed by Jafar that he had an encounter with Sora and Luna.

"Those children again?" she asked, annoyed at the development.

"They're more persistent than I expected," Jafar confessed, "Why not explain the situation to that boy Riku? Doing so might actually prove useful to our –"

But their talk was interrupted when Sora, Luna, and the others entered the Lamp Chamber, rearing for a fight; Medea emerged from Luna's shadow just in time to ready her claws for something to kill. But the moment they saw Maleficent personally, Luna's eyes turned steely with a bitter rage while Sora finally got to see this vile stranger for the first time.

"Wait a second. Are you Maleficent?" Sora wanted to know.

"You…foul witch…" Luna hissed bitterly.

Maleficent only looked at them for a moment before she vanished without a trace, leaving them with only Jafar to deal with.

"Jafar, let Jasmine go!" Aladdin demanded.

"Not a chance. You see, she's a princess – one of seven who somehow hold the key to opening the door," Jafar refused haughtily.

"Open…" Goofy started to question.

"…the door?" Donald finished, equally confused.

"But you fools won't live to see what lies beyond," Jafar dismissed them. "Genie! My second wish. Crush them!"

Luna could see from Genie's pained face that he doesn't want to do them any harm, but the foul person who called himself 'master' was forcing him to do something that crosses the line.

"Genie, no!" Aladdin cried out.

"Sorry, Al. The one with the lamp calls the shots," Genie said sadly, "I don't have a choice."

Ultimately, it became a battle not only against the wicked sorcerer but also against the Genie; they were in a serious pickle right now. How are they going to be able to be able to attack Jafar if he has their poor friend sent to hurt them?

"What do we do now?" Donald wanted to know.

Luna had an idea, though. "Medea, try and hold off Genie as long as you can! We'll go after Jafar."

"Don't take too long, you hear me?" Medea agreed as she changed her size in order to meet Genie's level. "Make that jackass wish he was the one crushed!"

With that one moment, the tides were turned against Jafar. While Medea did all she could to keep the Genie at bay, Luna and Sora were able to maintain their focus on Jafar despite his ability to float around the arena. Interestingly enough, it wasn't just the disadvantage of not having Genie with him that irked him, but it was the fact that Medea was hindering the progress of the fight while the rest of the party was pursuing him.

"What sort of creature would dare to stop the Genie like that?" Jafar demanded to know. "No trickster can do that of its own will!"

"You should know why… Medea is not a slave without a will of her own!" Luna answered with a stinging anger in her voice. "At least she can think, can feel, and can say what she wants to say without being forced to do otherwise…Something that you shouldn't have treated Genie as!"

When Jafar was distracted by Luna's assault, Sora seized the opportunity to jump on Jafar and smash his staff with his keyblade. This caused the sorcerer to recoil from the out-of-control magic that he lost and collapse to the ground.

But this victory was not to last.

Just as they headed up to the keyhole and were about to check to make sure that Jasmine was okay, they got an unwelcome surprise when they found that Jafar was still alive – and boy, he was in a serious mood for absolute vengeance for his defeat!

"Genie! My final wish! I want you to make me an all-powerful genie!" the sorcerer demanded.

As horrified as Genie was to have to grant such a foolish wish, he had no choice but to do so. With a shot from his finger, Jafar suddenly overflowed with power – so much so that he created a deep hole leading into a chamber filled with lava surrounding the platforms! Quickly, the whole party gave chase into the hole to find that Jafar had become a giant, muscle-bound red genie; and then, Iago showed up carrying what appeared to be a black lamp.

"Is that Jafar's lamp?" Luna asked.

"Hell, yeah! It's parrot season, fellas! First one to smack the lamp outta that bird's talons gets to send that jerk into it!" Medea shouted eagerly, fired up for a competition.

Medea's words were just enough to get everyone motivated into pursuing the lamp in Iago's grasp. Granted, Jafar still put up some resistance when he would throws boulders of lava at them in an attempt to impede their progress, but fortunately, Donald and Goofy worked on keeping Genie-Jafar occupied while the rest of them chased after the parrot and the lamp. Not to mention, one of the most annoying things was that the platforms to help them reach different points of the arena would sometimes shift back and forth.

Ultimately, Luna won this bout when she used one of her Shadow Hands to shoot a Fire spell at Iago (singeing his tail in the process), forcing him to drop the lamp.

Triumphant, Luna held up the lamp and commanded. "Jafar, I wish you to get inside your lamp!"

"What?!" Jafar cried out in shock.

Medea smirked. "The one with the lamp calls the shots, remember?"

True enough, the lamp began to do the job and sucked Jafar into the place he would be kept imprisoned for the rest of his life; but not without grabbing his pet in the process.

But when they did get back up to the Lamp Chamber, they were shocked to find that Jasmine was nowhere to be found! That meant only one thing: someone had taken Jasmine away while they were preoccupied with confronting Jafar. But who could've done it, and without their knowing it?

Who could tell?

Then, the keyhole began to glow brightly, in which Sora and Luna turned around to finish their business in the Cave of Wonders. Sora used his keyblade to lock the keyhole of this world, and when he finished, Luna used her power to make sure the dark force is no longer around. But then, all of a sudden, just moments after sealing the keyhole, the whole place started to shake violently. That mean only one thing: the cave is about to collapse at any moment!

"Uh-oh! We'd better get outta here!" Goofy panicked with his shield up.

"Jasmine!" Aladdin called out desperately.

"Aladdin, Jasmine is not here! We have to go!" Luna told him.

"For the record, I don't wanna end up flat as a pancake in this place!" Medea agreed.

Thanks to the help of Genie and the carpet, they were able to escape from the collapsing Cave of Wonders and back out into the desert before anything worse could happen to them. With nowhere else to go, the best they could do is return to the city and recap what they just went through…

* * *

When they got back and took shelter at Aladdin's place, it was easy to see that the poor boy was deeply saddened at the unfortunate fate of the princess he was attracted to. Luna could certainly understand how it feels to be separated from a loved one, and couldn't help pitying him for having to experience such a cruel thing.

"We're sorry about this, Aladdin. We tried to help her," Luna said sympathetically, "but we failed all the same. She has to be okay, somehow…"

"So, Jasmine is no longer in Agrabah," Aladdin figured it out. "Sora, Luna, let's go find her."

Sora shook his head. "Sorry, but we can't take you with us."

"Why not?"

"We sure wish we could…" Goofy admitted.

"But we can't. If we take him to another world, we would be…" Donald reminded them.

"Muh…Mudd –" Goofy struggled to get the point out.

"Meddling?" Medea guessed quickly.

Luna put her hand into Aladdin's. "Don't worry, Aladdin. We'll find Jasmine for you. We promise."

"Uh, earth to Al? Hello! You still have one wish left," Genie suddenly cut in. "Look, just say the word. Ask me to find Jasmine for you."

But their peasant friend had other ideas, one that even Genie didn't see coming. "I…I wish…for your freedom, Genie."

After Aladdin used his last wish, swirls of magic surrounded Genie and – in mere moments, he gained two legs of his own than the wispy trail he had, and the gold cuffs around his wrists disappeared in sparks of magic. Genie turned in utter surprise at this unexpected freedom he had been given so selflessly, but Aladdin gave him a small smile at this.

"A deal's a deal, Genie. Now you can go wherever you want," he said, "You're your own master."

The others looked at him with surprise at this development, not expecting this to happen.

"But if you can, it'd be great if you could go with them and find Jasmine," Aladdin added.

Genie contemplated on that. "Sorry, Al. I'm done taking orders from others. But…A favor, now that's something different. I guess I could give it a try." He rushed to Aladdin's side. "After all, we're pals, right, Al?"

"Genie…" Aladdin couldn't help smiling at this.

"Any help that can offered would be most appreciative, Mister Genie," Luna said, happy to know someone's willing to lend a hand.

"C'mon, little lady, it's the least I could do after all the mayhem you guys went through!" Genie insisted, "I wanna help you rescue my best friend's girlfriend."

* * *

After bidding their last farewells, the party returned to the gummi ship and continued their journey through the roads to find the next world to visit.

Inside her cabin, Luna had several questions on her mind with no answer coming up too easily. Who could've kidnapped Princess Jasmine? Why was Jasmine kidnapped? And why did she run into Riku when the rest of the party wasn't around? She had no idea why everything was happening so swiftly, and she couldn't understand what the meaning of this was. Still, she knew that something was not completely adding up in the mystery; specific people were being targeted, which was what happened to Alice and now Jasmine. There had to be an explanation…

Still, something that Riku had been saying to her bothered her. If anything, it sounded like he wanted her to leave Sora alone and come with him to find Kairi. But why would he appear to her and not with Sora? And for that matter, what gave him the impression that she was left behind by their friend when her fears were the real hindrances?

"Thinkin' too hard's not gonna help you solve the puzzle, y'know?"

Luna looked over to Medea, who was leaning against the wall while tapping her fingers against her shoulders in contemplation.

"Medea…What could be going on with Riku? It wasn't like him to think Sora was doing something wrong with me," Luna asked with uncertainty, "He has been acting…strangely now. What could be wrong with him?"

"Don't know. But I'll say this: you'd better be more careful, Luna," Medea warned cryptically, "I'd hate it if he tries to do something funny with ya."

That was something she didn't expect from her Shadow Guardian; now Medea is on edge with the notion of Riku. Still, she suspected that her guardian might have some insight as to what might be going on with Riku that she hadn't seen yet. Perhaps is she saw him again, she could find out what he was doing that she didn't know.


	12. Chapter 11: Monstro

**Man, writing Monstro was a bit of a pain in my rear. I have to wonder how anyone had the patience to play through that level. But then again, the next one up is Atlantica... Hoo, boy, that one's gonna be a really fun ride...**

 **Y'know, there's something that didn't cross my mind up till now: if Luna and Medea had voice actresses, who could they be? By all means, let me what you think.**

 **That being said, hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave me a review, but no flames allowed.**

* * *

Chapter 11: Monstro

Later on, during their traversing through the roads, Luna got a surprise when Sora knocked on the door and opened it carefully (probably to make sure he wasn't bothering her). She could immediately tell that something was on his mind, and that it was a personal matter.

"Hey, Luna? Could I talk to you a moment?" he asked nervously.

"Of course you can, Sora. What's on your mind?" Luna asked, patting the bed for him to sit down.

As soon as Sora sat next to her, he asked his question straight away. "Luna…Do you miss Kairi a lot?"

She couldn't help nodding sadly. "I do miss her, Sora. She was a good sister to me." She paused a second. "But I miss Hiroshi and Yoko, too. It's so hard to cope with…It's almost like…"

Luna couldn't say anything else because she realized that she was making mention of the tragedies of the past all those years ago. It hurt too much just thinking about it, even more so since she wasn't too eager to discuss about it to her close friends.

"I just have to wonder where Kairi could possibly be. We've searched in several worlds, and we still found nothing," Sora admitted, his disappointment strongly evident.

Luna was silent for a moment, but then said something she never thought she would. "Well…a person I once called 'grandpa' once told me that even if someone is not directly with me, they are still with me in my heart. It felt so long ago…"

"That sounds like quite a wise grandfather you had," Sora commented.

"I don't know why I said that…Maybe I know the feeling of something important missing with ourselves," Luna mused. Then, she shook her head. "Don't worry, Sora. Wherever Kairi is, I'm sure she's okay. I'm sure she wants to be back with us, too, and is looking for a way. Until we know where she is, we need to pull through together…and find both our friends again."

Sora couldn't help smiling brightly at that. "You're right, Luna. We're just gonna have to stick together until we find them, and when we do, we'll find a way home together!"

Luna couldn't help giggling at the sudden joviality of her goofball of a friend, almost reminding her of the girl she used to be in the past.

"In any case, perhaps we should take some time to get our minds out of the sadness and do something useful," she said as she got up, "I think it's my turn in the kitchen. I wonder what I should make…"

"You want me to help?" Sora asked.

"No…I'll be fine," Luna declined politely.

* * *

On their way to the next world, the party got a surprise when they discovered they had a fax message sent to them from Traverse Town; it was pretty clear that Cid must've set that up while he was modifying the gummi ship for them.

It was wonderful that they had a way to keep touch with their friends in Traverse Town, especially when the message they were given asked if any of Ansem's lost reports had been found during their travels. Donald took liberties of sending what reports had been picked up in their previous visit, but not without sending an angry not that questioned why they weren't told about it in the meantime.

Luna arrived at the cockpit with their lunch when she heard about this, and even Medea emerged from her master's shadow when she got curious about what the fuss was all about.

"So, the kooky mechanic set up some means of chatting from afar, huh?" Medea questioned, "That'd make getting info a hell of a lot easier, if you ask me."

"It would help us get any updates on what we need to know," Luna couldn't help agreeing.

"He could've told us before we left," Donald grumbled as he started eating.

But then, when nobody expected it, everyone heard a low bellow as though it belonged to an enormous sea creature; it startled everyone the instant they heard it. Upon looking out the cockpit window, though, they were shocked to find that – straight ahead of them – just ahead of them was a whale of gigantic proportions heading towards their direction!

"What is that?" Donald was dumbfounded.

"Wow, it's huge!" Sora exclaimed in shock.

"What the hell's that thing doing out here?!" Medea cried out.

"It's a giant whale!" Goofy exclaimed.

Suddenly, a small cricket came hopping up onto the control board to see what was up. Luna turned to see that the well-dressed bug was quite shocked at the find as well as them, but with more terror than fascination.

"It's Monstro! He's a whale of a whale, and vicious besides!" the cricket panicked.

Donald was horrified at this. "Are you serious, Jiminy?! We've gotta get away from here!"

In an instant, Donald took control of the wheel and made every effort to turn the ship away from the whale. But try as he did, the whale came closer and closer, and before long opened its mouth as though to catch them into his enormous maw.

"Hurry the hell up and get us outta here, duck!" Medea shouted.

"I can't! It's gonna swallow us!" Donald panicked.

"That thing is coming closer!" Luna cried out in fear.

For a few moments, it was nothing but panic and chaos as the gummi ship was sucked in by the powerful force of the whale Monstro; by the time the ship had been completely swallowed up, everything went completely black for the party…

* * *

When Luna regained consciousness, she found herself on a squishy surface which she was pretty sure had something to do with the insides of an animal. That was when she remembered that Monstro had swallowed them up and now they are trapped inside the whale itself! How mortifying that had to be to deal with such a change of environment; the smell of the place didn't really help things in the slightest.

"You okay, Luna?"

Luna looked up to see Sora kneeling down to her, reaching out as though to help her get back up.

"I'm okay. Are we really in…" Luna was about to ask.

"Knock it off!" she heard Donald shouting.

"Your yelling's not gonna make whoever's up there stop what they're doing," she heard Medea criticizing.

Luna turned around to find that Donald and Goofy were watching the ledge above them, and Goofy had his shield up to brace for anything that might come down. Medea was not far from them, tapping her fingers impatiently as she waited for them to do something other than stand there and taking the punishment form above.

Goofy noticed the rest of them are awake and turned to Sora and Luna. "Sora, Luna, are you both okay?"

"What are you guys doing?" Sora asked them. "Where are we, anyway?"

"Oh, lemme see…We're practically inside a giant ass whale's body, it smells like dead fish and who the hell knows what else," Medea replied sarcastically, "and someone's been throwing crap at us without giving a real good reason and without showing who the hell he or she is that's doing it! Need I go on?"

"Yup, and for today's weather: expect showers," Goofy added. Suddenly, another item came down and banged on his shield. "Heavy showers!"

"Hey! Who's there?" Donald shouted.

Then, a small boy popped his head out from the ledge, allowing them to see who the new face is in person. But unlike the average child, it was apparent that there was something out of the ordinary with him: his body had wooden joints; he was also dressed in a little boy's old-fashioned villager's clothes that would also fit a normal child.

"It's me," the boy replied.

"Oh, it's just Pinocchio," Donald said. But then he had a double take. "Pinocchio!?"

Jiminy jumped onto Sora's shoulder when he heard this. "Pinocchio? Pinnoch, where are you going? Pinocch!"

Luna turned to the others in confusion. "Who is Pinocchio? Did you know him somewhere?"

"Yeah, we saw him at one of the shops when we were getting materials," Sora told her, "Jiminy knew him, apparently, and they were together before. Plus, Jiminy mentioned something about being his conscience."

"Come on, everyone after him! Quick!" Jiminy urged.

Luna looked over toward what seems to be water. "Are we going to have to swim in that? It doesn't look clean…"

"If we're gonna reach him, we'll have to," Sora answered, about to jump right in.

"Hell, no! I'm not going in that stuff," Medea objected, "If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna fly over it."

"You're just a chicken, Medea," Donald criticized her.

"Says the duck who nearly fried his ass because of a Heartless," Medea shot back.

"If it's all the same, I think I'll use my own way of moving around," Luna agreed with her guardian.

True to her word, Luna conjured a Shadow Hand big enough to hold her whilst carrying her across the odorous water just as Medea sprouted her wings again and began to fly over the rest of the group; Sora and the rest of the party simply swam through until they reached a small ship where they could Pinocchio with an elder man and apparently talking about the big green block the boy was carrying over.

"What have you got there, Pinocchio?" the elder man was asking.

"With this, we can get out of here, Father," Pinocchio replied excitedly.

The old man inspected the block diligently, trying to figure out what it could do. "Really? With this big block? You think so?"

At this point, the party was able to get on board the broken ship and meet up with the new people stranded in the whale with them.

"It's true. So, how did you end up here, Pinocchio?" Sora questioned.

Luna simply took in the presence of the new person, and suspected that the elder with them was the puppet boy's father. It was rather uncanny to her since he's human and his appearance gives off a humble common man's position, but she could tell that despite his age, he was a very gentle and caring soul; in a way, this reminded her of Eraqus when she knew him as a child (though, she didn't see him as a parental figure like her old friends did).

"Oh, my. So the whale swallowed all of you, too?" the good elder asked in concern, "My goodness…"

"It was terrible…We didn't get the chance to escape that enormous animal," Luna admitted shamefully.

"So, you're the one Pinocchio was talking to?" Medea asked, trying not to be rude.

"Yes. My name is Geppetto. I'm Pinocchio's father," Geppetto introduced himself. "When we got separated, I traveled all over, looking for him. Thank goodness we're together again." He turned his attention to the block and proceeded to carry it elsewhere. "So, you seem to know Pinocchio quite well. I hope he was a good boy in my absence."

"I'm sure it must be difficult being separated from loved ones," Luna confessed, "Who knows what would've happened if someone gets separated from people they love for too long?"

"Yeah, I'm with Luna on that," Sora agreed.

Geppetto set the block on the bed before he continued to talk. "Well, we've had quite a journey. Right, Pinocchio? Pinocchio?"

But then, that was when everyone quickly realized that something was amiss: Pinocchio was not on the ship with them! That meant that he had gone off on his own, and without telling them anything.

"How the hell was he able to slip off like that? Shouldn't he know better than to wander in a weird place like this?" Medea questioned, confounded at what happened.

"I've warned him not to wander off from here," Geppetto said with worry in his voice, "He can be a naughty boy. Even so, he's very precious to me."

"We'll go look for him, Geppetto. When we find him, we'll bring him back here," Sora promised.

"I hope he hasn't gotten hurt or something," Luna agreed with worry.

"The cricket oughta stay here, though. The place might have some hazards in it of itself," Medea pointed out.

At least Jiminy wasn't going to argue about that. "Well, then, I'll stay here until he comes back. But if he goes off again, I'll have to come along to make sure he hasn't been too naughty."

"Fair enough," Sora agreed.

At full haste, the party hurried down the ship and into the deeper section of Monstro's insides; by the time they got into spongy place, they could see Pinocchio hanging around near another tunnel leading deeper into the whale's insides.

"There you are!" Donald exclaimed in relief.

"What are you doing? Come on, let's go back," Sora asked him, trying to get his attention.

"You know, Geppetto's awfully worried about you," Goofy added.

But Pinocchio didn't seem to be listening to them, so Luna approached him and tried to gently lead him over to her.

"It's okay, Pinocchio. We just don't want you to get hurt," Luna promised him gently.

Even though she extended her hand out, Pinocchio didn't take it. This didn't sit too well with Sora, who was running out of patience.

"Pinocchio, stop fooling around!" Sora scolded, "This is no time for games!"

Medea groaned at this. "Jeez, children these days… And Luna was a handful enough when she was small."

Sora and the others started to turn and walk away in defeat, but Luna somehow stayed behind to try and convince the child to come along with them. Perhaps if she could just try and reason with him one more time, he might be willing to listen to her and come with her…

"Pinocchio, why wouldn't you come back with us?" Luna asked him, "We just don't want any harm to come to you."

Just then, Pinocchio looked up at her as though he wanted something from her. "Will you play with us, Luna?"

Luna was startled and confused at this. "Us…?"

"Don't worry. I'm sure she'll play with us." A hand set on her shoulder, causing Luna to turn and find Riku next to her. "But, Sora, I thought you liked games. Or are you too cool to play them now that you have the keyblade?"

The instant Sora heard this; he turned around and was shocked to find him with Luna and Pinocchio. Medea, on the other hand, was not too thrilled that someone was too close to Luna for comfort and readied her hands in case a fight would occur.

"Riku! W-What are you doing here?" Sora asked, dumbfounded.

"Just playing with Pinocchio and Luna," Riku answered casually.

"You know what I mean! Where's Kairi? Did you find her?" Sora pressed for answers.

Riku shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe. Catch us, and maybe I'll tell you what I know."

"Come on!" Sora yelled.

However, Riku turned and began to lead Luna away. "Let's go, Luna."

Before anyone could do anything to stop them, Luna felt herself being pulled along by Riku as she and Pinocchio were being led further into the chambers until a certain point when he let the boy go off on his own, leaving the two of them alone. Then, Riku turned to Luna to speak with her personally.

"Luna, I was able to find Kairi, but not in the state we had hoped she would be in," Riku told her.

"What do you mean? What happened to her?" Luna asked, dreading where this was going.

"She's lost her heart, Luna. Kairi's an empty shell without it," he explained to her, "But it has to be somewhere, or else she would've been long gone. Maybe with your help, we might be able to find it and return it to her."

Luna was completely stunned at this information. She had always worried about Kairi's well-being and safety, but she couldn't believe that she had lost her heart. But what really puzzled her was how he learned about this, and for that matter, who would've discovered Kairi in the first place. Did someone tip him off about where she disappeared to, or was she kept someplace until she was revealed to Riku?

However, it was the notion that he actually wanted her to help that made her uneasy. She couldn't shake off the feeling that something's out of place in his ideas.

"Riku, I wish I could help you, but I don't like where this is going," Luna admitted, "Ever since we met in Agrabah, you didn't sound the same. You sounded…jealous of Sora, angry even. What is going on? Are you thinking I was dragged along against my will?"

Riku frowned in annoyance on the matter with Sora. "You still don't get it, do you? Haven't you noticed how Sora has been pulling you along, and goofing around while playing the hero? The only reason you haven't been making progress as you were hoping to do is because he's holding you back." He held her hands a little tighter, as though he was still vying to change her mind. "Don't you want to help Kairi, the person you called 'sister', Luna? Don't you want to be with her again?"

"I really want to, Riku. But you're hiding something from me. There's something you're not telling me," Luna tried to reason with him, "Something has made you act differently, and I don't know what. It's scaring me, and I'm sure it's making Sora scared for you."

Riku sighed, shaking his head. "You still don't get it, do you? Fine, then. I'll have to show you what Sora's doing with you anyway."

With that, Luna felt herself being led along deeper into the whale's organs until they neared the bowels, when a dark portal formed and a familiar face brought out Luna's anger.

"Why do you still care about that boy?" Maleficent asked. "He has all but deserted you for the keyblade and his new companions, as well as needlessly dragging your other friend everywhere, after all."

"I don't care about him. I'm just messing with him a little," Riku answered coldly, "and showing Luna how pointless traveling with Sora is."

The poor girl was disturbed at this. If Riku was acting this way, she shouldn't even be near him.

"Oh, really? Of course, you were," Maleficent said, a knowing look on her face. "Beware the darkness in your heart. The Heartless prey upon it."

"Mind your own business!" Riku snapped as the witch disappeared through a dark portal.

"I don't like what she was saying, but it's the truth, Riku. I've seen it happen with that sorcerer back in Agrabah, and what resulted was terrible," Luna tried to reason with him again, "And that's not even the worst of it: I've seen what happened to people in the past when the darkness gets involved, and…well…what happens is horrible."

"Don't worry, Luna. That won't happen to me," Riku assured her, but she wasn't buying it.

Considering what she was seeing thus far, Luna soon detected a dark aura surrounding Riku, and it was quickly unnerving her. It reminded her of the dark parts of her past, specifically what she had seen with her brother and with a friend of hers who acted like her second brother; it reminded her of the horrors of an evil force corrupting an innocent person under the worst of circumstances, even more so with what she last remembered about Terra. It's no wonder her dream warned her about the past so that she wouldn't experience a repeat, but how is she going to be able to save Riku from the same fate as her elder brother?

She didn't get any ideas going when she heard Pinocchio running by, and was surprised that he ran right past them with Sora, Medea and their animal friends following just enough to find the two again.

"About damn time we found ya, Luna!" Medea said, ready to grab her if things go south.

"Sora! Medea!" Luna tried to reach for her companions, but Riku prevented her from doing so.

"Riku! What's the matter with you? What are you thinking?" Sora demanded to know. "Don't you realize what you're doing?"

"I might ask you the same thing, Sora. You only seem interested in running around and showing off that keyblade these days," Riku responded, the cold tone returning. "Do you even want to save Kairi? Do you even want Luna to be with her again?"

"I do," Sora replied honestly, but it didn't seem like Riku was taking it for an answer.

Suddenly, everyone heard Pinocchio's panicked cry from behind them. That meant only one thing: something awful has happened, and it's the boy who's in danger!

"Oh, no! Pinocchio!" Luna cried out as she hurried inside the bowels.

Sora, upon seeing Luna run in, immediately booked it to help her out with Medea, Donald and Goofy coming in right behind them and Riku hurrying ahead of the group. To most of their shock, it could be seen that Pinocchio had gotten himself trapped inside a giant Heartless with its teeth encasing him like a cage and two large tentacles wavering around it.

"So, we've got a parasitic cage monster, eh?" Medea said as she formed her claws. "Sounds like a good challenge."

"You ready for this?" Riku asked.

Sora readied his keyblade. "No problem. Let's do it!"

"Hold on, Pinocchio! We'll get you out of this, just hang on, okay?" Luna called out, hoping to reassure the boy.

"Get me out of here!" Pinocchio called from the cage.

The Parasite Cage proved to be quite the challenge for the party as they struggled to fight off the monstrosity in order to save Pinocchio from any worse problem that could occur. Due to its large tentacles moving all over the place, it was almost easy for it to smack some of them around into the walls around the chamber. However, thanks to Donald's magic, it was possible to take the attack to its small head in conjunction with Medea's mobile attacks and Goofy's defensive attacks while Sora and Riku moved in to attack the tentacles long enough to go after the hulking body. On Luna's part, though, she had other plans for harassing the monster. Not liking the idea of the poor boy being trapped in there (and quite possibly getting hurt in there), she used her Shadow Hands to block away the tentacles while she worked out an alternative way to force her way through.

While the rest of the group was too busy trying to stop being smacked around, Luna summoned two Shadow Hands near the mouth and used the might of the two conjurations to force its mouth open long enough to get in after Pinocchio.

"Are you alright, Pinocchio?" Luna asked in concern as she climbed in, "It's okay now, I'll get you out."

Unbeknownst to her, though, one of the tentacles was about to try and force Luna away; however, Pinocchio noticed it.

"Look out!" he cried.

The instant she noticed it, she adjusted one of the Shadow Hands to turn and block the attack, but not without trapping herself inside the beast in the process! This got everyone else in a panic, knowing that Luna was stuck in there.

"Luna, hang on! We'll get you both out of there!" Sora called out, rushing to help her.

"Luna! What the hell were you thinking?!" Medea criticized her.

Now that left her with a serious predicament at this point. She's trapped inside the monster with Pinocchio with no means to force the Heartless to open its mouth again without cramping the already small space. But just when it seemed like she'll need her friends to get her out along with the puppet-child, a little thought formed within Luna's mind, and it quickly strung together into an unthinkable plan she never thought she'd do in her life…

"Pinocchio, I need you to hold on to me, okay?" she asked him.

Although he didn't know what she was doing, Pinocchio held onto her anyway for protection. As soon as she had the chance, she waved her hands with intent on conjuring her Hands to do their job.

From outside, everyone noticed that two giant Shadow Hands emerged and grabbed onto the tentacles tightly as though intent on detaining it without any further resistance. This made everyone wonder what she was doing inside the monster's mouth at this point… But then, when it was least expected, Luna unleashed the very thing she had crazily planned (though she knew that Medea might call her out for it later on).

"Thunder!"

All of a sudden, charges of electricity surged through the Shadow Hands and sent an electrical burst through the Parasite Cage, causing it to convulse in extreme pain.

Unfortunately, because of the substantial electrical affliction it was given, the Parasite Cage instinctively spat out the both of them into a hole that formed in the middle of the room as though neither of them tasted very good at all. The cries of both of them as they fell stirred panic with Sora and Medea.

"Pinocchio! Luna!" Sora cried out.

"Dammit, not again!" Medea cursed angrily.

But Riku jumped right into the hole, chasing after them without an explanation as to what he was doing, forcing the rest of them to follow.

* * *

As for Luna, she and Pinocchio landed on the ship Geppetto was on, but she got the worst of it when she crashed against the wood; the boy simply tumbled out of her hands a little ways. This not only caught the attention of the boy's father, but it also made the boy worried about her as she struggled to get up after the rough landing she suffered.

"Luna! Luna, are you okay?" Pinocchio asked in worry.

She shook her head in pain. "Not really…it hurts…"

"Oh, dear, this is very serious!" Geppetto said with concern as he started to come over to look.

But any chances to help her were interrupted when Riku landed on the boat and knocked Pinocchio unconscious. This shocked Luna when she saw this, but before she could question what Riku was doing, the pain through her body made her cringe and forced her remain still on the floor. Before she knew it, she felt herself being picked up and carefully slung over Riku's shoulder while he was carrying the boy in his other arm. By the time she registered that she was being carried off, she could hear Geppetto calling out in desperation for his son.

"Pinocchio! Pinocchio! Please! Give me back my son!" the poor father implored.

"Sorry, old man. I have some unfinished business with this puppet," Riku answered, not caring about the situation.

"He's no puppet! Pinocchio is my little boy!" Geppetto protested.

Luna could feel a slight shift, which made her guess his thoughts were on the boy. "He is unusual. Not many puppets have hearts. I'm not sure, but maybe he can help someone who's lost theirs."

That was when Luna heard footsteps coming from the ship. She was barely able to look over to see that Sora and Medea had arrived to find her being carried off with Pinocchio by Riku.

"Wait a minute. Are you talking about Kairi?" Sora wanted to know.

"What do you care about her or Luna?" Riku answered icily as he started moving again.

"Get back here and give Luna back!" Medea's angry voice was heard from afar.

But it was too late, as Luna felt herself being carried away elsewhere within Monstro's insides. It was rather puzzling to her as to how he was able to transport her and Pinocchio all the way through the throat into the whale's stomach, but then she figured that since he was stronger than Sora physically, it's only logical that he'd manage Luna's weight and most likely because of how light Pinocchio is in contrast.

The next thing she knew, she felt herself being set down just enough so that her back was against the wall and Riku was kneeling close to her. She could tell that he had noticed how much pain she was going through, and he wasn't too happy at her recklessness.

"Luna, why did you have to endanger yourself like this? I know you can't resist wanting to help people and protect them, but you shouldn't be so careless with yourself. I can't try and protect you if you keep jumping into danger head-on," Riku scolded her sternly, but then softened as he stroked her cheek tenderly. "But don't worry, Luna. Maybe Sora will come to see how you should be handled best, and then we can work together to save Kairi. We can have an adventure together, all of us, as you would want."

Luna hung her head sadly, about to cry. As much as she wanted to believe him, she didn't like where he was going with his ideas. It didn't help that the aura she kept detecting made her more and more frightened, making her fear being dragged into it; she couldn't understand why he wouldn't listen to her when she knew about the darkness better than he does. It made her wonder if Maleficent had something to do with the distorted thoughts Riku was having right now…

Riku noticed her tears, and wiped them away carefully. "Everything will be alright, Luna. You'll see. You'll understand that what I'm doing is the right thing."

At that moment, her friends had arrived at the scene with Jiminy riding along with them, forcing Riku to shift his attention away from her and face the party. This allowed her to look toward Pinocchio, who was barely conscious while nestled not far from her, and then back to where her guardian and her friends are.

"Hey, let Pinocchio go, Riku," Sora demanded, having had enough of the games.

Riku looked toward Pinocchio. "A puppet that's lost its heart to the Heartless…Maybe, with Luna's guidance, it holds the key to helping Kairi. How about it, Sora?" He extended his hand out as though wanting Sora to come to him. "Let's join forces to save her. Luna won't come along unless you're with her. We can do it together."

But Sora, having developed more awareness that something's wrong about this, readied his keyblade to attack. Riku noticed this as he pulled his hand back.

"What? You'd rather fight me? Over a puppet that has no heart?" he asked, perplexed at the resistance.

"Heart or no heart, at least he still has a conscience," Sora said boldly.

"Conscience?"

"You might not hear it, but right now it's loud and clear," Sora continued, "And it's telling me you're on the wrong side! I'm not holding Luna back, and I am not needlessly dragging her around against her will. What if something else is hindering her and you don't know about it? Has that ever crossed your mind?"

"Then why is she with you in the first place? Luna doesn't need you, Sora," Riku insisted.

"No…I didn't say that…" Luna protested weakly, trying to move.

Sora noticed this, and immediately took action. "Luna…! Cure!"

Thanks to that small healing spell, Luna was able to regain just enough mobility to summon a Shadow Hand and carry herself back to her friends.

"Thank you…It hurt quite a lot," Luna thanked Sora, but then to Riku. "Please, listen to me, Riku. You're making a terrible mistake, one after another. If you keep wronging innocent people and endangering them, you'll only cause harm to them as well as yourself. If you don't stop this, there's no knowing how harsh the consequences will be!"

It was easily noticeable that Riku had a hard look on his face, knowing that no one is willing to go with him. "Then you leave me no choice…"

But before a confrontation could occur, a rumble was heard and – to the surprise of the party – the annoying monster that they ran into before had made reappearance, and it was obviously up for round two after that humiliating shock it got.

At the same time, Pinocchio could be seen running towards them; it helped Luna feel relieved that the boy was alright, but things were going to get dangerous now. Jiminy was not too far behind and hurried to a safe distance from the fight.

"Well, at least Pinocchio's okay," Goofy said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, but we've got other problems! That thing's ready for more!" Sora agreed, but felt that they should focus on the monster.

But Luna wasn't exactly in top shape due to the stinging pain sticking around. "I think I hit the boards harder than I thought…I don't think I can concentrate like this."

"Ya want me to take over for ya?" Medea asked, her face indicating she had a plan.

"How?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Since you're not fit to fight yourself, I'll pick up your slack," Medea replied.

That was when a startling thing happened that not even Sora was prepared for: Medea's physical form completely blackened, like the coloration of a shadow, and – with a swiftness that was almost hard to detect – she surrounded herself around Luna and merged with her like a ghost taking possession of a living host. Then, it was noticed that Luna seemed to be hovering slightly off the floor, and her eyes became the same violet colors as Medea's rather than Luna's green.

"Now, then, where did we leave off?" the possessed Luna said as she conjured the Shadow Hands around her.

The rematch with the Parasite Cage was pretty much similar to the previous confrontation, but this time the challenge was attacking it without landing into the stomach acid lurking around the area; not to mention, the fiend would throw in some annoying poison attacks to try and trip them up whenever it had the chance.

However, with the combined efforts of Sora's keyblade against the Heartless's body and the possessed Luna's Shadow Hands keeping the tentacles at bay so that their compatriots can keep the fight from getting out of hand, they were able to take down the monster.

As soon as it was over, the entire inside of Monstro began to shake with extreme irritation, which warned everyone that now was their chance to get out of there now. But before leaving, Sora tried to look for Riku, who had apparently disappeared during the scuffle with the Heartless.

"Riku! Riku, where are you?" he called out desperately.

"C'mon, we gotta get outta here!" Donald yelled while running for the exit.

"Monstro doesn't seem to be feeling good right now," Goofy noted, rather stating the obvious.

During their escape, though, Medea reemerged from Luna's body and reformed her physical form while Luna herself almost felt like she was going to collapse since she was still in pain.

"Sora…I can't move any further…" she pleaded weakly.

Quickly, Sora turned back and picked up Luna without any trouble, and then everyone high-tailed it out of there and bailed into the gummi ship as soon as possible. Before they knew it, Monstro had spat them and the ship out with a huge burst of a sneeze, sending them careening a few miles away; but thankfully, Donald was able to get control back to the ship before it could violently hurtle anywhere else.

This allowed the entire party to get a very nice reprieve after the hellish experience within the body of a giant whale of all things, and try to sort things out between one another.

"I sure hope Pinocchio and Geppetto landed somewhere safe," Goofy said.

"Yeah, hopefully they landed somewhere safe," Donald agreed.

Sora, on the other hand, had other thoughts bothering him. "Riku…"

"What I don't understand is what the hell his problem is. Seriously, he's been dragging Luna around with him and acting like his own buddy doesn't give a damn about her!" Medea wanted to know foremost, "Plus, what the hell was he thinking, getting in the way of the lives of innocents and causing problems?! Hasn't Luna been through enough crap as it is?"

"Speaking of 'understanding', what did you do with Luna?" Donald questioned, directing his suspicious glare at Medea.

The Shadow Guardian rolled her eyes, and answered, "It's simple: I merely temporarily provided physical capability with Luna since she was in too much pain to do things herself. It's not like I was trying to overthrow her free will or anything, I was just lending a hand to her."

"Did I make you worry throughout our troubles in Monstro?" Luna asked her guardian, changing the topic.

Medea turned to her and answered, "Damn straight you did. What the hell was Riku trying to do to you?"

"Yeah, what was Riku trying to do with you?" Sora agreed, wanting to know what he missed before.

Luna shook her head sadly. "I wish I had all the answers, but…it's just so confusing. The way Riku was talking to me…It was almost as though he wanted me to leave you guys and come with him. He seemed rather upset that I wanted to stay with you, Sora. I think…I think he believes that I'd be more willing to him with Kairi than you would. Maybe that's why he tried to appeal to me, since Kairi and I pretty much looked at each other as sisters of sorts."

That certainly bothered the rest of the group, knowing that something was up but don't have any clear understanding as to what is driving Riku down a wrong path. But Luna could tell that Sora did not like the fact that his own friend since childhood was acting against them. What they couldn't understand too well was what he was hiding regarding Kairi; Luna had a vague idea, but she wanted to see Kairi's state personally if she were to confirm what he said was true.

"Well, after all the crap we went through inside that giant ass whale's insides," Medea broke the silence. "I think we're due to have a wash-up and get the filthy smells off us."

"Sounds good to me," Sora agreed, brightening up a little.

"But Luna gets first dibs since she got the worst of it," Medea added with a devious smirk.

That didn't sit well with the boy and the duck. "HEY!"

* * *

Later on, after everyone has finally settled down, they started to keep going on their way to the next world while keeping themselves occupied.

For Luna, it was quite refreshing to be able to cleanse herself of the odors she had received from inside Monstro, and now that they were searching for another world to explore, she couldn't help wondering what new place they'll find. She hoped that the next one would have someone who could help them find what they're looking for and, perhaps, deal with any potential threats that could endanger the lives of the residents.

"I wonder when we'll run into Riku next…It scares me how much he's changing," Luna admitted to herself.

"Who knows? Personally, I don't wanna see him harassing you again."

Luna turned to see Medea waiting near her cabin room door, leaning against the wall while tapping her fingers in contemplation.

"Medea, did Riku bother you in any way?" Luna asked, "Why do you say he's harassing me?"

"That's the thing, girl. You said yourself that he sounded like he wanted to come with you and help him with something," Medea answered as she made eye contact. "But if you ask my opinion, I'd say that he's become a danger to you since he had to be doing the naughty things he did under the influence of someone."

That reminded Luna of something she witnessed when she was alone with Riku. "Medea…I had a run-in with the witch. I met Maleficent again. I might be stretching it, but I think she has something to do with Riku's change in his thoughts…"

She could see her guardian tense at the name, knowing what this was supposed to indicate: there may be the possibility that they'll both be seeing the witch directly sometimes soon.

"If that's the case, we'd better be more careful from here on in," Medea said darkly.

Luna nodded in agreement. "You're probably right…"


	13. Chapter 12: Atlantica

**OH...MY...GOD! I am SO sorry that I took so damn long to get this chapter posted! So much was going on these few months, and I got distracted by my other works as well!**

 **But goddamn, Atlantica was a major pain in the ass to write down! I wonder if anyone knows that feeling when writing their stories...**

 **Anyways, with all that melodrama, I'm just going to get some things out of the way: first, if there's anyone among my readers who loves Ariel, please don't be too hard on Medea's criticism. I might be a bit crazy, but there are some aspects of Ariel that have glaring issues with her character. Second, if anything in this chapter feels rushed, I apologize in advance. When I realized I took too damn long to finish I had to coach my head into getting it done these past few days. Lastly, it was freaking HARD to describe the environment of this world! I couldn't put in too much details since, to me, there isn't too much too see in Atlantica, so sorry about that.**

 **Now that that's out of the way, hope you enjoy this (FINALLY!) available chapter!**

 **As usual, constructive reviews are welcome.**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave me a review, but no flames.**

* * *

Chapter 12: Atlantica

"Do ya feel better after that fall you had, Luna?"

"Yes, I feel a lot better, thank you. It hurt quite a lot, but I'm glad I got help when the pain returned."

As they waited for any news on their next destination along the way, Luna's pain from the fall she had previously returned to her and, since nobody wanted her to remain crippled throughout the rest of their journey, Donald and Sora helped her out with a Cura spell and an elixir to help reduce her pain until she was given proper treatment. Needless to say, Medea got a little upset that Luna didn't think about it right away, but was appreciative that her master got help when she needed it most.

"Honestly, you gotta be a lot more careful with yourself, Luna," Medea scolded her, "Compared to your spiky friend here, you're practically fragile."

"C'mon, Medea do you have to be so hard on her? It's not like she was prepared for a fall," Sora complained.

"Look, I'm not trying to bash her actions and choices, but Luna's gotta take care not to be so reckless with herself," Medea insisted strongly, "I know she can't help wanting to aid anyone who is in trouble and all that, but that's no excuse for being careless."

"For once, I'm gonna agree on that," Donald couldn't help agreeing on that.

Not wanting an argument to stir up, Luna changed the subject. "Do you have any idea where we are heading right now, guys?"

"Yup. I think we're heading to a place called…uh…Atalanta? Atlantis?" Goofy struggled to recall the name.

"It's called Atlantica, Goofy," Donald corrected.

Medea raised a brow on that. "Altantica? Why does that sound like something watery?"

* * *

True to Donald's words, the new world they found looked an entrance from a cavern leading into a beautiful kingdom nestled securely in an underwater setting; old bones of sea creatures and shipwrecks from ages past can also be seen making a stark contrast to the glistening palace from a distance.

"Oh, my…what a lovely scene," Luna said with fascination, "I never thought a sea kingdom would exist…"

"Okay, guys, prepare for landing," Donald said as he prepared to make a landing.

Sora got a little worried about this. "Land where? In the sea? We'll drown!"

"Not with my magic, we won't," the duck replied in reassurance, "Just leave it to me."

The moment they made a landing in the underwater world, they didn't see what happened to themselves until they had made a dive into the sea; within mere moments, a magic spell formed about them and everyone became different sea creatures befitting the new environment.

Luna found herself to be a mermaid with a dark blue fish body from the waist down, with light purple translucent fins and a long lavender tail; though her long-black gloves remained the same, her corset had changed into a fuller one to cover her chest with crossed straps holding the moonstone brooch and her veiled hat became a veiled blue tiara set with pearls.

On Medea's part, most of her body was changed to that of a purple-colored stingray save for her dark claws that became part of her form (possibly permanently until they leave this world); other than that, she was pretty much her usual self.

Sora, in a similar fashion to Luna, became a merman with a lighter blue fish body from the waist down (and shirtless, might I add); Donald had octopus tentacles from the waist down while Goofy had most of his body become that of a turtle.

While such a transformation was certainly a marvel for the eyes, the one thing most of the party quickly developed trouble with is the fact that they aren't really accustomed to maintaining mobility while completely underwater. In fact, Luna and Sora had trouble figuring out how they were supposed to be moving around while Donald kept hanging upside down while trying to keep steady; Goofy and Medea, though, were able to quickly figure out how to work with their fishy bodies since they had the most transformation done on themselves.

But then, three individuals showed up, apparently swimming away hurriedly to avoid something that might be chasing them. One was a young woman with bright red hair who obviously is a genuine mermaid since she had only seashells across her chest, another was a yellow-and-blue fish and the last was a red crab.

"Come on, Sebastian!" the woman called out.

"Ariel, wait! Slow down!" the crab panicked, "Don't leave me behind!"

But then, upon seeing Luna and Sora and the others, the crab immediately panicked in fright as he swam back to hide behind the woman he called Ariel.

"Relax, Sebastian," Ariel laughed, "They don't look like one of them. Aren't they, Flounder?"

"I don't know. There's something weird about them," Flounder replied, unsure of what to make of things.

Sora chuckled nervously as he struggled to stay upright. "What do you mean?"

"You do seem…a little different," Ariel said as she examined them curiously, "Where are you from?"

"We're kinda from very far away," Sora answered lamely.

"And, unfortunately, we're not used to these waters," Luna added, which was partially true.

"There's no way she's gonna buy that…" Medea muttered behind their backs.

Shockingly, Ariel bought all of that. "Oh, I see. In that case…Sebastian can show you how we swim around here."

The Shadow Guardian was dumbfounded at this. "She actually bought that? What size of a brain does she have?"

Luna hung her head at that comment. "Medea…"

But Sebastian didn't like the mermaid's idea one bit. "Ariel! King Triton won't like this!"

"Oh, don't worry," Ariel shrugged it off.

"Easy for you to say…Okay, it's time you learn how to swim properly," Sebastian reluctantly complied.

With the talking crab's instructions, the rest of the party was able to understand how to be able to move around in the area without any stability problems. Of course, Luna simply followed what Sora and Ariel were doing while Donald had to learn how to make use of the octopus tentacles in order to navigate the waters. Goofy and Medea simply watched as they adapted at their own pace.

"Good job. Now let's move on to self-defense," Sebastian commended them.

"Sebastian!" Ariel cried out.

Everyone turned to find that Ariel was pointing towards a small group of jellyfish-shaped Heartless coming towards them. Immediately, Flounder and Sebastian began to swim off in an attempt to find a place to hide.

"Class is over. Good luck!" the crab panicked.

Knowing that they had to act quickly, the party immediately got to work on taking down the creatures before things got out of hand. Granted, it was a little weird battling while underwater, but with enough experimentation on how best to approach the battlefield, it was possible to deal with the threat until the coast was clear. Luna herself actually had to find a way to work around conjuring the Shadow Hands as she moves around in water.

Once all of the fiends were gone, though, their new acquaintances came out to see that the coast was clear for the moment (no pun intended).

"What was that about?" Luna wondered.

"Those creatures chased us here," Ariel admitted.

That got Sebastian in a panic. "Oh, no! Those monsters might be heading for the palace, too!"

"Well, that doesn't sound good…" Medea muttered.

Surprisingly, Ariel got a little worried. "We'd better head back right away!"

"But wh-what if we run into more on our way back?" Flounder asked worriedly.

In Luna's mind, that was a rather good question that not a lot of people would ever ask about, considering their lack of experience with the monsters that come their way compared to her and her friends. So, logically speaking, it would be in their best interest to help them through the place just in case more Heartless show up and try to intercept them.

"Maybe…there's something we could do to help for the moment?" Luna asked.

"Maybe there is," Ariel agreed, "Please, come with us to the palace."

Sora nodded in agreement. "Sure! We'll gladly help."

Following the lead of Ariel and her friends, the rest of the party joined them through their journey in the water toward the palace that they had seen from afar before landing in this world; whenever it was necessary, Sora and Luna would move up front to keep the Heartless from trying to charge at them while Medea had their companions keep an eye out from behind them, if only to make sure that nothing tries to perform a cheap shot at them. Of course, given the new environment they're in right now, there was reason to worry about the possibility of…other troublesome creatures…to get in the way besides the Heartless.

* * *

By the time they had reached the palace, though, the Heartless proved to be rather persistent to the point where they seemed hell-bent on hunting down their targets and the interlopers getting in their way. The party was about to turn around and fight them off again – that is, until a blast of some kind of magical energy shot out past them and eliminated every Heartless that dared to try and get close.

"That was too close. As long as I have my trident, I will not tolerate those creatures inside this palace."

From what was noticed, Ariel certainly knew the voice and swam past them, making the others turn around to see a merman seated upon a throne within the very core of the palace. As far as Luna could see, given the crown on his head and the trident in his hands, she had reason to believe that they are in the presence of a powerful king – one that they might want to be careful about for good reason.

"Daddy!" Ariel said, happy to see him.

"Oh, Ariel! Why won't you listen?" the sea king groaned in disappointment, causing the princess to grimace. "It's dangerous out there! Strange creatures lurk outside."

Yep. That was a sure sign that the Heartless were doing something within this world, and even the king himself is not favoring their presence in the slightest.

Sebastian took liberties to initiate formalities. "Behold. You swim before the ruler of the seas: His Majesty, King Triton."

King Triton noticed the new arrivals and asked, "And who are they?"

"They helped us fight off those creatures," Ariel answered.

The king had his doubts. "They don't look familiar."

"We're from an ocean very far away," Sora lied again.

"Yup. We came to find the Keyhole," Goofy added, accidentally spilling the beans.

Medea didn't take that too well and got angry. "Goofy, why the hell did you have to say that out loud to them?!"

"The what?"

"What's that?" Ariel asked out of curiosity.

The Shadow Guardian groaned irritably at this. "Urgh, we just get here, and you just had to blurt out about that –"

"There's no such thing. Certainly not here," Triton interrupted.

"But, Daddy…" Ariel protested.

But the sea king was adamant. "Ariel, not another word! You are not to leave the palace. Is that clear?"

Unfortunately, Ariel's angry look on her face showed that she couldn't take it anymore, and she immediately swam out of the throne room in frustration; Sora and the others afterwards quickly followed after her to make sure she's okay after that confrontation they had earlier with the sea king. Luna was about to catch up with everyone so she wouldn't miss anything with Medea right behind her, but…

"Wait a moment, young lady."

At that command, Luna suddenly stopped and turned to face King Triton, wondering what required her attention; but then the suspicious look in his eyes warned her that he's trying to find out more about her. Maybe he did notice something as they were entering the palace?

"Tell me: you're a Shadow Mage, aren't you?" the king asked her.

Luna hesitated a moment, but answered truthfully. "Yes…I am. Why do you ask? Have you seen a Shadow Mage?"

While Sebastian was looking back and forth in confusion as to what Luna was saying, Medea was watching cautiously behind her – mostly to make sure that nothing violent will come out of this unusual confrontation between them.

"I thought there was something odd…" Triton shook his head. "If you are as you claim to be, then you've seen other practitioners before, haven't you?"

Luna shook her head, indicating no knowledge. "No, I haven't, your Majesty. I think…I'm the only Shadow Mage wandering around."

With nothing else to go on, Luna took the opportunity to leave the throne room and catch up with everyone else with Medea following close behind her. But as they were, though, she did look enough long enough to notice the king showing a sad look on his face as though he wasn't sure what went wrong earlier; she didn't catch what was being spoken about, however. But she didn't want to worry about it until later, as she had other matters to be concerned of: that being finding the Keyhole before the Heartless – or whoever is causing trouble – ever come close to doing that. Still, did mentioning a Keyhole indicate that the king might have more awareness of the dangers in Atlantica than he's willing to let on?

"What the hell was that old man thinking, prying into your background?" Medea suddenly questioned suspiciously, "I'm getting the impression that he's a lot savvier about us than we think, and he probably wants to know what we're up to in this world."

"Maybe King Triton has had his share of experience with other people outside this world entering the place," Luna speculated, "Perhaps he has an idea of what Shadow Mages are because he's met a few some time ago, and I never knew about that. Grandpa Eraqus certainly didn't mention anything about other people like me…"

Medea shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows? But for now, I'd say we should wait on getting anything out of him unless he does something that crosses the line."

"Good idea," Luna agreed.

By the time Luna and Medea had finally caught up with the rest of the party, it was quickly noticed that Ariel was rather frustrated at what went on while they were at the palace and Sora and the others were trying to figure out what to do from there until Luna and Medea joined up with them, making them notice that their compadres weren't following behind them a few moments ago.

"Where were you, Luna? We didn't see you following us," Donald asked first.

"Sorry for making you wait, everyone," Luna apologized, "It's that…well, the king wanted to ask me something a moment, that's all."

Sora got curious for a moment. "About what?"

"Trust us; it'd be best to wait on that. The redhead over there seems to be in a bit of a teenage rebellious mood," Medea dissuaded him from prying deeper, hinting at Ariel's disposition.

Now that the whole party has been gathered together, that leaves only the matter of where to go from there; granted, King Triton didn't seemed too welcoming to them at the start, but even with what he had been saying, they still had a job to do and they can't leave until the job is finished. But the question is: where do they start looking?

"I wonder where we could find the source of the problem," Luna wondered. "The sea is a vast place, I'm sure."

Sora definitely puzzled over that. "That's a good question. I have no clue."

That's when Ariel proposed an idea. "I have an idea: come to my grotto. I want to show you something."

With the mermaid princess leading the way yet again, they swam to a small cavern with a boulder blocking what looked like the entrance; all it took was a push to move it enough for all of them to slip right through and into a wide grotto with a hole peeking out towards the surface of the ocean and surrounded by all sorts of treasures that might as well have been collected from any sunken ship, considering the antiquity of some of the items that found themselves at the bottom of the sea. It was quite a wonder as to how Ariel was able to do any treasure hunting and get away with it so easily…

"Look at all the wonderful things Flounder and I've collected," the princess said, gesturing to the whole area, "I think it's all from the outside world. Someday, I'm going to see what's out there. I want to see other worlds. Does that sound strange?"

"Not really…" Luna answered vaguely.

"Not at all. I used to feel the same way," Sora admitted.

Ariel got confused for a moment. "Used to?"

Sora caught himself quickly. "I mean…I still do."

Although Luna didn't want to admit to openly herself, it did remind of how curious she was about other world and what they are like as a child; she certainly knew the feeling of being sheltered from something that sounded strange yet wonderful. Though, it also reminded her of the upsides and downsides of the places she did visit when she was able to.

"Hey, why don't we try looking for that Keyhole you were talking about?" Ariel had to ask.

That raised a few alarm bells in everyone's minds.

"But your father said –" Sora was about to protest.

"Oh, he treats me like a little girl. He never wants to let me do anything," Ariel interrupted, bitter at her father's words. "He just…He just doesn't understand."

Medea frowned at what she was saying. "Honestly, I do not like how you're acting regarding someone from your own family. Besides, you look like someone who could easily listen to the words of a sleazy dealer or something along that line and not think about the consequences thoroughly until it is way too late."

"Medea, do you always have to criticize everybody that you meet?" Donald questioned.

"Actually, I'm worried about that myself," Luna admitted, "Shouldn't we think this through?"

"See? Luna's got a degree of common sense on her part," Medea pointed out.

"What other options do we have? If we don't find the Keyhole soon, we'll have even more problems than we already have," Sora had to insist, given where they are now.

Although reluctant to get the princess involved in matters that she doesn't clearly understand (and adding in the possibility that someone – or something – might try to interfere with their work like several other villains have tried to do in their previous encounters), Luna and Medea had to agree that they had to find what they're looking for quickly before any more trouble happens to them and the world they're in. Though, both ladies would've liked it a lot better if the sea king wasn't so uptight about the matter (even though it was unintentionally spilled out) and had a way to help them in their investigation without being too judgmental on them right from the start.

Still, with Ariel's knowledge of the vast ocean landscape, she led them through the rocks to a sunken ship nestled in a valley of sand and sea flora. At first glance, it was rather scenic, what with the mossy greens that have gathered on the already rotting wood and how much the ship itself has broken apart from most likely years of being trapped underwater and whatever damaged the vessel before it sunk down to the bottom.

"What're we gonna find in there?" Goofy asked out of curiosity.

"I'm sure we'll find something useful, whatever it may be," Ariel answered, not giving a possible answer.

"Let's just hope we don't find any sharks," Flounder worried.

That got Luna nervous immediately. "Sharks…? There are sharks out here?"

"Dammit. And I thought it was bad enough with the Heartless," Medea groaned in chagrin. "We'll also have creatures of the sea going against us."

But what are they gonna do?

By the time all of them had started to enter the cabin of the sunken ship, though, Luna couldn't help getting the nagging feeling that something was stalking them somewhere within the area…like that of a dangerous predator. But then, when nobody had expected it, a crashing sound occurred at the window – and it was quickly realized that the cause of the wreckage was none other than a ferocious shark! It scared everyone into moving away from the window, but – fortunately for them, the shark couldn't get any further in due to the rather space in contrast to its chunky body; with that, the vicious sea animal was forced into retreat empty-finned for the time being.

However, because of the wreckage the shark had caused, one of the treasure chests was smashed open enough to reveal a peculiar artifact hidden within: it was a crystal shaped like that of the prongs of the sea king's trident minus the staff.

"What's that?" Donald wondered.

Sora took out the crystal trident and examined it. "Hm…Its shape reminds me of something."

Luna got confused a moment. "What do you mean, Sora?"

"You didn't notice back in the grotto? There was a slot that looked like a trident," he explained to her, "almost like a variation of a lock that needed the right key to whatever is past it."

"That never crossed my mind," Medea commented.

After leaving the ship with the artifact, nobody had seen the shark after it made its appearance at the window of the sunken ship; but no one was willing to pay any mind since it was assumed that the beast just decided to give up on chasing some potentially tasty morsels to sink its teeth into anyway.

Thankfully, with the shark not around to bother them, it was much easier for them to head back to the grotto and investigate what the crystal trident was supposed to do. Sora carefully placed the crystal into the slot like it was fragile object, and it seemed like there was some form of reaction going on. But just as he had placed it into the slot for use, there was one wrench in the works that they didn't figure as soon as they had returned…

"Ariel, you've disobeyed me again!"

Not exactly liking the sound of the familiar voice, everyone turned around to find King Triton – and he was **_not_** very pleased at what he had found at all!

"I've told you not to leave the palace!" Triton warned angrily.

Just when someone could at least explain to him what they were doing, the sea king immediately noticed the crystal trident in the slot and – against the desperate pleas from Ariel – used his trident's power to shatter the crystal into many, thousands of irreparable pieces before their very eyes. Sora, Donald and Goofy were horrified at what they just saw right in front of them while Luna and Medea recoiled from shock at what Triton did in mere moments with no remorse for his actions.

Ariel looked at the now empty slot in revulsion before turning to her father bitterly. "How could you…"

Not wanting anything more to do with him, she hastily swam out of the grotto without another word to her father or to the rest of the party forced to face the king personally.

Triton turned to Sora and Luna with a hard look. "Young man, young lady, you're not from another ocean. You're both from another world. Aren't you?"

Sora jolted from shock at the fact that they had been caught red-handed, while Luna hung her head sadly and Medea rolled her eyes as though she weren't surprised that someone would have a keen eye on the matter.

"Then you must be the key bearer," King Triton turned to Luna next. "And you undoubtedly are a Shadow Mage."

"So he does know about what I am…" Luna feared.

"How did you know?" Sora demanded to know.

"You may fool Ariel, but you can't fool me. You don't know your dorsal fin from your tail," King Triton answered, "As the key bearer and a Shadow Mage, you both must already know one must not meddle in the affairs of other worlds."

"Of course I know that, but…" Sora was about to answer.

"You have violated this principle. The key bearer shatters peace and brings ruin," the sea king interrupted harshly, "and the Shadow Mage is a danger to anyone who would cross their path, regardless of the Mage's intentions."

That irked Medea quite a bit. "Now that's crossing the line, old man! What would you know about Luna?! It was bad enough when her gramps decided to have Luna kept in some kind of sleep to keep her hidden further away from any stalkers she'd gotten, but we don't need you saying that she's a threat to anyone when anyone else can be a threat against her!"

"C'mon, Sora and Luna aren't like that," Goofy added.

But the sea king would not yield. "I thank you for saving my daughter. But there is no room in my ocean for you or your key and shadows."

With that, King Triton left the grotto to return to the palace, leaving the rest of the group to sort out what just happened and what to do from there.

"What's the sea king's problem? We were just trying to help," Donald grumbled.

"Gawrsh, maybe we should've been more honest about ourselves," Goofy wondered in contemplation.

Sora looked at his keyblade, rather hurt at the sea king's words. "Who does he think he is? We've been trying to save what worlds we can find so that the Heartless can do no more harm. And yet he thinks we're making trouble out here? It's not like we're trying to cause any trouble to anyone."

"If you ask my opinion, that old man's got his head in the wrong place. He should know that there's some hell with the Heartless in his domain, and he can't fend them off for long," Medea scoffed bitterly. "One way or another, he'll have to ask our help to deal with whatever drawing those black pests into this place, or else someone's gonna give him even more hell than this watery world's going through."

But Luna had other thoughts on her mind: she had trouble enough comprehending why King Triton would say that the both of them were endangering Atlantica, but there was something else that bothered her. Did the sea king have some experience with Shadow Mages to question her on a subject she had too few knowledge about for years? If so, then how does he know about what she is? There was only one way she could get an idea about what information he might have…

"I should talk with King Triton," Luna suddenly spoke out of the blue.

Sora abruptly turned to her in confusion. "What do you mean, Luna? Why do you want to speak with him, after what happened a moment ago?"

"The reason I was held up earlier was because he wanted to ask me something. He suspected I was a Shadow Mage, and asked me if I knew of any other people like myself," Luna replied, "I told him I didn't know…but I think he knew all along that I was a Shadow Mage, but perhaps he didn't trust me because he wasn't sure whether I would mean any harm to his kingdom or not." She paused. "That's why I want to talk to him. Maybe he's met other people like me, and he didn't want to tell Ariel. Sora, can we please go to the palace and see him? I can try and explain everything to him while I ask him about whatever he knows."

Now, Sora would've been the type of person to question Luna for her rather odd ideas, but the instant he noticed the uncannily serious look on her face, he knew that there was no point in arguing with her. In fact, he figured that it would be a good opportunity to clear up the misunderstanding and convince him to help them find who's using the Heartless here.

"Okay, Luna, we'll do it your way this time," Sora agreed, "Let's head to the palace now and speak with him."

"I'm with the kid on that one. Besides, I've got a thing or two to say to the old man," Medea seconded that.

"Yeah! We're trying to fix the problems here," Donald said, "What more problems could come our way now?"

* * *

Unfortunately, by the time the party had arrived at the palace, yet another problem just happened right before their eyes: at the throne room, a fat woman with the body of an octopus was spotted alongside two ugly eels with the trident in her hands and used it to cripple the sea king while Ariel gasped in horror at what happened and hurried over to her father.

The octopus woman cackled in glee. "The trident is mine at last! And I couldn't have done it without your help, my dear."

"Ursula, no! I didn't want this!" Ariel protested.

"Why not? Aren't you tired of following your dear daddy's orders?" Ursula replied with no care, "Oh, yes. We had a deal, didn't we? Time for a little journey – to the dark world of the Heartless!"

"We cannot find the keyhole," one of the eels reported.

"The keyhole is not here," the other eel added.

"What?!" Ursula got frustrated at the report. But then she turned to spot Sora and Luna and their comrades near the entrance to the throne room. "Why, we have company. I'm afraid you're a little late, little ones!"

Before they could catch her, Ursula used her powers to disappear from the throne room in a puff of black smoke along with her eel minions. After seeing what had happened, it became pretty clear who the real threat in Atlantica really was.

"Damn it! I would've been real happy to make that fat tentacle freak into calamari dinner in a second," Medea growled angrily.

"Calm down, Medea. You'll get a chance, don't worry," Sora promised, knowing what she's thinking.

Luna hurried over to make sure the king is alright. "Your Majesty, are you okay?"

Triton shook his head slowly. "The trident…We must get it back."

It was easy to figure out what he meant by that: with the magic trident in Ursula's possession, there's no knowing how much more danger Atlantica will be in, and there's no doubt the Heartless will go out of control and ruin the oceanic world.

"C'mon, let's go!" Sora said as he led the way out.

But then Ariel quickly got in front. "Wait, I'm going with you! My father is hurt, and it's all my fault. I have to stop Ursula!"

"Fine, we'll help ya clean up this mess you made. But you'd better not make any stupid mistakes after that," Medea reluctantly agreed, "because I've got enough trouble handling Luna."

"That's right. I'm right behind you, Ariel!" Sebastian called as he emerged from his hiding place.

Medea narrowed her eyes with skepticism. "Really? It makes me wonder if you had some part in Ariel's dumb decisions…"

"Not now, Medea! We've got to find that witch!" Donald interjected impatiently.

As much as Luna didn't want to leave King Triton like this, she knew that there was still work to be done and something must be done about the cruel witch who caused all this pain and suffering from the start. Just as she started to leave with the others, the sea king had a word of wisdom to give before they went in pursuit.

"Listen…Ursula draws power from her cauldron," Triton told her, "To defeat Ursula, you must strike the cauldron with magic."

Luna nodded. "I'll keep that in mind, Triton. You just stay here, and try to be strong. We'll stop Ursula before she does any more harm to this kingdom, don't worry."

* * *

Of course, finding Ursula's lair was easier said than done; after all, with such wide terrain, how would they be able to locate a possible route to where she had been hiding herself for however long she has been away from the serene kingdom. For that matter, where could they go to reach her lair and get the jump on her? Hanging around the sunken ship, the party thought over what the possible option Ursula would've taken if she needed to get back to her home, if it could be called that.

"Now, if I were a fat octopus, where would I go to return to my secret lair without the use of magic or something?" Medea questioned.

"If anything, she would've had a particular shortcut that only she would know about," Luna speculated, "or she would've had more than one path, maybe…one or two paths that do lead to her place with other trails to throw her enemies off the scent."

"Let's look around the sunken ship. There might be something there that could give us a clue as to where her lair is," Ariel suggested.

"That'd be the best thing to do at this point," Sora agreed, "There's no knowing what we might be able to find if we're lucky enough to not run into –"

"A shark!" Sebastian's sudden panicked cry sounded off.

In an instant, everyone got a serious panic when the giant shark that harassed them during their previous exploration of the sunken ship was now charging right at them, hell-bent on pursuing its meal at all costs. Sora smacked it back with his keyblade; but while it did trip the shark for a few seconds, it only made the carnivorous creature all the more angry as it rushed right past him and aimed straight towards Luna and Ariel! Luckily, Goofy was able to get in front just in time for the shark to chomp down on his hard shell instead – only for all of its teeth to shatter into many pieces with little to no effort. In defeat, the shark retreated, its pride completely broken and in humiliation at the embarrassing screw-up.

Luna couldn't help hugging Goofy for what he did. "Thanks, Goofy. I was afraid one of us would be unplanned dinner."

"It's a good thing I'm a turtle, huh, Luna?" Goofy chuckled jovially.

Shortly after the chaos had calmed down, Flounder emerged from inside the ship and met up with the group; it could safely be assumed that he must've been stuck there because of the shark.

"Is the sh-shark gone…?" Flounder asked shyly.

At least Ariel was relieved to see one of her friends was alright. "The shark is gone now. We're all okay now."

"What were you doing out here?" Sora had to ask.

"I…I saw Ursula passing by here, along with her eels Flotsam and Jetsam. They went through a b-boulder just below where we are," Flounder replied, "Maybe…her lair is just past that cave. I didn't get to look because…well…you know…"

That certainly explained it a lot. But at least they now knew where to go from there, since they didn't have to look too far for the very boulder mentioned to them.

"You'd better look out, pudgy slimeball! We're comin' after you!" Medea shouted, fueled for battle.

"We'd better not waste any time, then," Luna agreed as she started swimming down along with their friends.

* * *

Ursula's lair was a lot more unsettling than Sora and Luna had ever thought. Just ahead of them are skeletal remains of a gigantic sea creature long since dead with several holes bubbling with a hot substances, all the while letting out colored smoke that made the entire environment more like something out of a gothic novel than a fairy tale sea kingdom. But further inside the frightening domain, it's quickly noticed that along the floor of the lair were miserable-looking little creatures with big, sad eyes and heads against skinny necks with no body anywhere in sight. It appalled Luna to see those poor things looking up with so much pain in their eyes.

"Oh, no…Were those things…?" Luna faltered in her questions.

"They must've been people of Atlantica, turned into those things by Ursula," Sora guessed, hating what he was seeing. "Let's get going."

Needless to say, when they arrived in the heart of the lair, Ursula was there along with the magic cauldron King Triton was talking about and her slimy eel minions stalking around the room menacingly. But the instant she saw them form her perch, the sea witch got rather upset that she had been tracked down to her only sanctuary in the otherwise brighter world beyond the borders of the ocean.

"Come out! You can't run!" Donald shouted.

"Your time has come!" Sebastian added.

One death glare from Ursula made the crab and the fish flee for safety, knowing that they can't fight her. But everyone else got ready to take the battle directly to the one person nobody wants roaming around Atlantica any longer.

"Luna, can you and Donald take care of the cauldron?" Sora asked her, "The rest of us will keep them off your back until can do something about it."

"That's what I was thinking," Luna replied, "Donald and I can take turns with magic spells until we know what will happen to the cauldron."

Medea couldn't help smirking at the chance of laying a beat down. "Now this will be a really fun fight! That fat octopus is gonna have a hard time escaping my urge to butcher her."

As annoying as the battle was against Ursula and her cronies, it was at least coordinated just enough so that there wasn't too many hiccups in their tactics (the only thing that was very annoying was the eels that kept trying to pester them every step of the way); once Luna and Donald had fired off just enough Fire or Thunder spells into the cauldron, an explosion of magical energy burst out within the entire area and paralyzed the witch and her pets just long enough for the rest of the party to get rid of the eels quickly and bring on some punishment on Ursula herself before she came to her senses.

By the time she did recover, though, Ursula was horrified that her two most precious pets had been terminated for good. This caused her to growl furiously with a growing desire for revenge on the opposition.

"You'll pay for this!" she vowed in rage as she escaped through the hole where her perch is.

"Hell, no! You're not getting away that easy!" Medea shouted as she gave pursuit.

"She still has the trident. Let's follow her," Ariel agreed on that.

"Hurry, everyone!" Sora called as he took the lead once more.

Their chase of the sea witch led them to a wide open space somewhere in the middle of the ocean; whether it was a route to the ocean floor or not is debatable, but the villainess was top priority since she was getting ready to use the trident as part of her intent for revenge after what had happened back in her lair.

"You pathetic fools! I rule the seas now!" Ursula boasted. Then, with a flash of the trident's power, countless fumes of black smoke formed around the bottom floor as the sea witch's normal proportions continued to grow until she was practically the size of a giant (and it didn't really help that her tentacles were lashing around the entire area). "The sea and all its spoils bow to my power!"

At first, the party had a serious problem with confronting her due to the nature of the situation at hand; not only were there magic spells being bombarded at them, but her tentacles made a lot more effort to capture them and try to crush them.

"Do something!" Sora cried out as he struggled to get out.

"I can't! I'm stuck!" Donald shouted.

"Well, you're the one who's an octopus just like her!" Sora retorted.

However, there was one little thing that even the sea witch didn't anticipate in her efforts to get rid of them: despite getting caught by one of the tentacles, Medea quickly figured out that she's a stingray, so… With just one stab of the barbed tail, the Shadow Guardian was able to successfully sting Ursula just enough to break herself free and use her claws afterwards to slice her pals out of their captivity, freeing them to do what they were supposed to do from the start of the battle.

"C'mon, you guys! Let's make that witch into sushi already!" Medea called as she rushed ahead.

"Yup! Right behind you," Goofy agreed as he followed her.

"I'll keep the witch from using her magic," Luna said as she started to move to higher ground, "Sora, you and Ariel get at her from behind while our other friends prevent her from sabotaging us."

"You got it!" Sora called as he charged right ahead.

"Wait for me!" Donald hurried to help out directly.

With Medea and Goofy using their maneuverability to trip up Ursula from below, it was much easier for Luna to summon her Shadow Hands and use them defensively against the bombarding bolts while Sora, Donald, and Ariel made a flank against the sea witch from everywhere but directly to her face. Because of their ability to gang up on her and destroy the benefit of her size, it didn't take long for Ursula to lose the trident as she vanished into the abyss of thunder and black smoke and then disappeared in a flash of light, thus ridding the ocean of an unwanted usurper for a good long while.

Ariel seized the opportunity to retrieve the trident, and then everyone made their way back to the palace to help one more person – and in the meantime, put an end to the Heartless invasion of Atlantica for good.

* * *

With the trident returned to its rightful owner, King Triton was able to recover from the attack he went through at the sea witch's hands, certainly looking better than ever. And better yet, his relieved daughter embraced her father, very happy to see him well again after the almost fatal mistake she made.

"Daddy, I'm so sorry," she apologized remorsefully.

"Please, don't be angry at her," Sora implored, not wanting Ariel to be hurt again.

"I'm sure you both understand the rift between you two had hurt both of you," Luna added, "and could've led to even worse."

King Triton understood what wrongs had been done. "It's my fault. You followed Ursula because I wouldn't let you follow your heart. When you found that crystal, I lost my temper and destroyed it."

Goofy remembered about it quickly. "Oh, yeah, the crystal! Why did you destroy it?"

"That crystal held the power to reveal the keyhole," the sea king answered, "The Keyhole is dangerous. I had to keep you away from it at all costs."

"Daddy…" Ariel's tone indicated that she realized how serious the situation was before.

"I guess that explains why he didn't want someone like his own daughter finding it," Medea speculated, "If that octopus found out where the damn thing actually was, Atlantica would've been toast a whole lot sooner."

"Then, does this mean you'll let us help us, your Majesty?" Luna asked.

Triton nodded. "I have one more request: Seal the keyhole. My trident has the power to reveal the Keyhole. Will you do it?"

Sora nodded in acceptance. "Of course. That's what we had in mind from the start."

"Where is the Keyhole, Daddy?" Ariel asked.

"You should know better than anyone," her father replied, a knowing look seen on his face. "It's in your grotto."

That made a lot of sense: why else was there a trident symbol embedded on the rock of the grotto? Why else would King Triton be so bent on preventing it from being found previously, given the threat of the Heartless in the sea? He must've had an awareness of what the situation, but he didn't want the wrong people to find the very thing that could determine the fate of the sea kingdom. At least they now know that they can finish their job without any more hassle or interference from someone who was way too protective.

"Really… Sora, let's go," Goofy suggested.

"Yep. Let's wrap this up and get ready to go," Sora agreed.

* * *

At the grotto, Ariel allowed the trident to release a light powerful enough to cause bubbles to flutter around the whole room of the grotto until the Keyhole formed in the midst of what almost looked like a delicately crafted glass frame held in front of the collected treasures behind it. Just like the last few times it had been done, Sora used his keyblade to lock the Keyhole to stop the Heartless from coming back to threaten the sea kingdom; and like before, Luna used her shadow powers to inspect the area to make sure the traces of the corruptive darkness were gone.

"I don't sense it here anymore," Luna said as she finished inspecting, "This place will not be severely threatened anytime soon."

The mermaid princess swam over to Sora and Luna and asked them, "Tell me, Sora, Luna. Your world, what's it like?"

That was when Sora remembered their lie. "Oh, about that… Sorry for lying to you."

Ariel shook her head with a smile. "It's okay. Besides, if you can travel to other world, maybe I can, too. So many places I want to see…I know I'll get there someday. I'll find a way, somehow. I'm sure of it."

Down below, Sebastian shook his head in worry. "Well, if you find it, do me a favor and leave me out of it."

Medea rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure, and the next thing you know you'll have the urge to follow her and make sure she doesn't do anything reckless to the point of endangering herself. Admit it, you'd chase after her anyway."

Sora and Luna couldn't help shaking their heads at Medea's response to Sebastian's paranoid comment, knowing that what she was saying did have some element of truth; though, where Luna stood, she knew that her Guardian was merely speaking from her experience of looking after her young master (Luna herself, naturally).

"Some things will never change."

Both teens turned from their friends to find King Triton just outside the tunnel, apparently having arrived to see that the Keyhole had been locked. It was clear that he was relieved to know that the kingdom will not be threatened anymore, especially by Ursula, no less.

But it was also noticed that there was something else on his mind; and Luna had an idea on what it might be: it had to do with what happened in their previous encounters with him, and what misunderstandings had not been resolved yet.

"Your Majesty, may I ask something?" Luna decided to ask a question, "Why did you want to know if I knew any other Shadow Mages? Did you meet some before?"

Sora turned to Luna in confusion. "So that's why you were held up the first time?"

She nodded.

"I wasn't sure whether you were trustworthy, given your heritage as a Shadow Mage, and I suppose it didn't help with the presence of the Heartless," the sea king admitted, his regret apparent. "But I'll confess that I should've known better after my first encounter with the previous visitor years before. The only other one I knew was a woman who used similar powers to your own, but she wanted to help rather than harm anyone. In a way, she was as selfless yet headstrong as you are."

That made some sense on Luna's part; if someone strange from another world came with the intent of helping others, there is the possibility of distrust or curiosity depending on the individuals who meet them. Perhaps that explained why King Triton didn't trust Sora, or her for that matter. But now that he knew they meant well every step of the way, it was much easier to soften the sea king's suspicions and earn his trust. But then she couldn't help wondering who it was he met previously; if this person he knew was another Shadow Mage, then who could it have been? She'll have to wait on that thought for a while, for there was no way she could answer that question on her own at this point.

But while Luna was pondering what information was acquired, King Triton approached Sora with a word of warning.

"Young man, you'd best keep a close eye on your friend," he warned, "She may be powerful, but she seems rather fragile. Should anything break her heart, she will need all the support and protection you can give her. Travel with caution."

Now it was Sora's turn to mentally question what the sea king meant by his words; although he wasn't sure what he was talking about, there was no doubt that he was being told to continue looking after Luna and protecting her since she's one of the few island friends he still has after the nightmare they went through. But why would she experience heartbreak? Didn't she already suffer enough ever since having to overcome her mental illness?


	14. Chapter 13: Halloween Town

**Hello, and here is Halloween Town - one of my personal favorite worlds. What can I say? It's freakin' Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas! Where do you go wrong with that?!**

 **To MackBlade and TheFoolishDreamer: Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews and your enthusiasm for my story! It's nice to have more people interested in my Kingdom Hearts story series. I was afraid someone wouldn't notice after my months' writer's block. Please, keep on coming with your thoughts and have patience with me as I try to juggle my writings.**

 **Without further ado, please enjoy!**

 **Constructive reviews are welcome. Rude comments are not.**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave me a review, but no flames allowed!**

* * *

Chapter 13: Halloween Town

After taking the time to recuperate from the constant swimming they had to do in Atlantica (considering how sore their muscles must've become, clearly it was easy to feel exceedingly fatigued even after returning to their normal state), the gummi ship further along the roads until they found another world that looks rather spooky yet a bit fun at the same time.

The new location they've found looked like a small, twistedly Gothic town with a creepy fountain spewing out a green, liquid substance in the middle of the town itself; in the center of the entire setting was what looked like a giant jack-o-lantern with a spooky face. The colorations gave off the impression of something out of a children's ghost storybook, or anything macabre in general.

"Now what do ya suppose that place is?" Medea asked as she looked out the window.

"It looks rather scary…" Luna said nervously, "Is it really safe there?"

"That place looks like it took Halloween to the extremes, and celebrates it all year," Sora added.

"Then let's see what's in there," Goofy suggested.

"Good idea," Donald agreed.

* * *

When they came out of the gummi ship, the party found that their appearances have changed yet again, but this time to fit the macabre setting of the new world they had set foot on.

Luna noticed that she was wearing a dark blue, worn-down bridal dress decorated with a spider and spider web laced train and her moonstone brooch pinned to the top of her dress; on her head, she wore a headdress with a transparent purple veil and decorated flowers along with a net veil over her eyes, and on her arms were worn-down and tattered fingerless net gloves. The most change done to her body was two stitches around both of her arms, while the rest of her remained the same.

On Medea's part, her purple dress was changed into a white dress with tatters around the skirt hem and the sleeves, and her skin became paler than it usually was with dark circles under her eyes; her bright red hair and violet eyes, however, remained the same.

Sora was wearing a black-and-white jumpsuit with white gloves and bat wings placed on his back, along with black stockings held by red strips of cloth; his face looked like it had been covered in black makeup and a devilish mask was worn over one side of his face ( **A/N: it makes me think of the Phantom of the Opera, sort of** ).

Donald looked like he had been almost completely wrapped up in mummy bandages, but the weird part was that his mid-section was missing from the rest of his body. Goofy, on the other hand, looked like a comical version of a Frankenstein monster, mostly due to the patching on his clothes as well as the giant screw embedded in his head; though, the pumpkin on his nose was a rather nice touch to the creepy style.

"Damn, I look like I've been almost bleached," Medea commented on her looks.

Sora took note of Luna's outfit and couldn't help commenting. "What's with the getup? You look like an undead bride."

"It does look like it…" Luna agreed as she inspected herself.

Goofy looked around the surroundings, noting the pumpkin lanterns and the dark atmosphere surrounding the entire area. "This sure is a spooky place. I'll bet the people here are scary-lookin', too."

"Don't worry," Donald assured him, "We look spooky, too. If they scare us, we'll scare them right back!"

"You think so?" Goofy asked.

"I doubt Donald would be able to freak them out," Medea replied skeptically.

"Hey!"

"What do you think could be going on in the center?" Luna wondered, "Do you think there might be a festival going on?"

"Good question. Let's go see what the town's got to surprise us," Sora replied, his curiosity getting the best of him.

Following the pumpkin lanterns, the party walked past the gate into a large square where the creepy fountain poured out an eerily green liquid out and a small town surrounding the wide space – to find that there are ghostlike Heartless present in the square! But the rather uncanny thing about it was that they weren't moving to attack them the moment everyone stepped into town, unmoving like puppets on strings waiting for their puppeteer. This baffled both Luna and Sora as they examined the abnormality of the situation.

"That's weird. Why aren't they responding to us being here?" Sora wondered. "I have the keyblade, and you're a Shadow Mage. Shouldn't they be threatened by us?"

"Could someone have brainwashed the Heartless upon their arrival?" Luna guessed as she examined a Heartless.

"That's ridiculous! Someone may be manipulating the Heartless, but not to this extent," Medea objected. "What kind of crazy people have been tinkering with these things without even thinking it through?"

But then, at the right moment, a rather short man in a formal suit with a long, thin hat – very likely the mayor of the town - came out with a megaphone and made his announcement to the curious spectators.

"And now, allow me to introduce the master of terror, the king of nightmares – Jack Skellington!"

Then, the ghostly Heartless made the motion of parting ways just as a skeletal being slowly emerged from the fountain to give off a pose like a person who's been in show business for so long; it was plainly obvious that the new face was a very tall, lanky skeleton dressed in a black and white suit with a striped bat replacing the typical bowtie.

The short man applauded excitedly as he approached the skeleton man. "Bravo, Jack! Bravo! Those ghosts will be a big hit at this year's Halloween."

"Thank you, thank you!" Jack said, appreciating the praise. But then he showed slight disapproval. "But their movement still needs more work. It's not scary enough. I want to strike bone-chilling terror." He then turned to walk away. "I'm going to consult the doctor."

"Then I'll go attend to the decorations," the short man said jovially as he hurried to tend to other matters.

After hearing all of this, there was a large amount of mixed reception in everyone's minds; on the one hand, it's a big curiosity was to what the residents of the spooky town intend to do with the Heartless, but on the other hand there's a lot of alarm bells ringing in their heads at the idea of trying to manipulate the creatures that they clearly don't understand about whatsoever.

"I don't like this. I don't like it one bit," Medea said grimly, shaking her head. "Whatever it is the bonehead in charge is doing here, it's not gonna be pretty if they try to use those things for their festivities."

"I'm gonna sound silly, but I'd like to see the Heartless dance," Sora commented.

"That's dangerous!" Donald argued, "Especially for everyone who lives here!"

"We should talk to the skeleton man and try to convince him to understand what he's doing may be hazardous," Luna suggested.

"Maybe we should find out how they're trying to use the Heartless first," Goofy agreed, adding his idea into the mix.

"Okay, yeah, we'd better check it out first," Sora agreed on that matter.

Since they know that the skeleton man Jack was heading towards the door leading towards the quirky building a little ways off from the square, it was very easy to track down which way the mastermind was going.

* * *

Inside the laboratory, the party finds Jack Skellington alongside a peculiar beaked individual with a metal cap head seated in a wheelchair looking over the Heartless placed on a surgical table, pondering over the specimen and how best to work with the creatures that they had discovered quite recently. It stands to reason that they are trying to figure out how to fix their problem with working out a way to control them successfully.

"I don't understand. Maybe the guidance system was damaged in the explosion," Jack contemplated.

"Nonsense. My devices are always perfect!" the doctor protested.

But then, after pouring over the notes, Jack had an idea. "Oh, I've got it! Why, of course! The Heartless need a heart. Doctor, do you think we can add a heart to that device?"

The doctor seemed to like that idea. "Certainly. A heart's not all that complicated. Let's get to work."

Over to the side, Sora and Luna couldn't help but question what they're thinking with their proposed plan.

"Are they really sure about it?" Sora asked.

Luna shook her head in doubt. "I don't think they know what they're doing. A heart is much more complicated than one would think."

Meanwhile, Jack read over the instructions. "To make a heart, first take a container with a lock…"

The doctor at work pulled out what almost looked like a patched-up, makeshift heart with a key lock held by metal padding, like it was holding the entire thing together. He then seemed to struggle with how to handle it, considering how it seemed to be under lock and key (no pun intended).

"We need the key to this thing first," the doctor said.

That got Sora's attention. "Sounds like that's my cue."

"You're really gonna unlock it for them?" Donald questioned.

"Why not? If they succeed, we won't have to fight the Heartless, right?" Sora replied. "Besides, I want to see the Heartless dance, too. Don't you?"

"I'm not too sure about that," Medea rebuked skeptically, "Even if they do succeed, all those freaks out there will do is do their normal thing and terrorize every living thing here."

But being the curious young man that he is, Sora brought out his keyblade and – with just a flash of a light beam – was able to unlock the stitched-up heart with no effort. This actually amazed and surprised the planners for their holiday quite effectively, more so Jack Skellington.

"My! That was amazing!" Jack exclaimed in fascination. But then, he realized that he didn't know the new faces. "Uh, and you are…"

"I'm Sora."

"Well done, Sora! I'd like you to be part of this year's Halloween," Jack couldn't help his enthusiasm. "With your cohorts as well, if you don't mind."

"Mr. Jack, what is this Heartless doing here?" Luna had to ask.

The skeleton turned to the creature on the table. "Oh, the Heartless came into town just recently. What's frustrating is I just can't get them to dance with me. So the doctor and I are trying to improve the guidance system. He's quite a genius!"

"Even if he's a genius, working with Heartless is pure madness," Medea disagreed.

But Jack didn't pay any mind to Medea's comment. "Okay, Doctor, let's continue. The ingredients for a heart: Pulse. Emotion. Terror. Fear. Hope and despair. Mix them all together, and we have a heart!"

Sora turned to Luna. "That's not going to be enough, isn't it?"

"No, it isn't," Luna replied.

After Jack and the doctor had put in all the ingredients they had gathered together into the artificial heart, everyone watched as the mad scientist flipped the switch to the guidance system to test whether or not the results will improve with the help of the heart they've pulled together. Sparks of electricity filled the machines until sparks surged through the Heartless on the table; just when it seemed like there would be a response coming from their tested specimen, it abruptly stopped and collapsed back onto the table, resulting in no success at all.

"It failed!" the doctor lamented. But then, a thought sprung in his mind. "Maybe we're missing some ingredients. Let's try adding memory. Sally! Sally!" But there didn't seem to be anyone answering the call. "Good-for-nothing girl! Don't know why I bothered creating her! Sally's got the memory we need. See if you can track her down."

"No problem. Sora, would you like to come along?" Jack asked.

"Sure," Sora agreed.

"Maybe when we find this Sally, we might be able to get a second opinion on the Heartless in the town," Luna speculated.

"I'm gonna agree with ya on that one," Medea agreed with her. "The sooner we can stop this insanity, the better."

* * *

But apparently, it wasn't going to be that simple: the moment the party had stepped outside of the research laboratory, they were greeted by the rather frightened mayor whose other face clearly was under a lot of distress.

"Jack! Jack! We have a major crisis!" the mayor panicked, "The Heartless are completely out of control! We can't stop them!"

That didn't sit well with Jack at all. "Hmm…Maybe our experiment triggered something. Everything will be fine, Mayor. You have nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about, my ass!" Medea retorted, "Those freaks shouldn't even be here in the first place!"

"C'mon, let's go!" Donald charged toward the square in a hurry.

Not wanting to waste any more time, everyone who could hold their own raced into the square to find the ghostly Heartless truly going rampant as they should've been from the beginning. That meant only one thing on Sora and Luna's account: it was about time to get to work and settle down the crisis before it gets out of hand.

Donald and Goofy tracked down every Shadow that managed to show their faces and eliminated them as quickly as possible while Luna and Medea worked together with Sora to take care of the spectral Heartless. But it wasn't over just yet; more Heartless could be spotted from outside of the square.

"There's more out in the graveyard. We'd better take care of them!" Jack said as he spotted the creatures.

"We'll get 'em!" Sora promised.

Upon entering the graveyard to hunt down the remaining Heartless within the town vicinity, the party was ambushed by Heartless that ranged from the ghost-types to the mummy-esque abominations that were rather tricky to deal with. But just so lucky for them, Luna was able to take matters into her own hands and summoned her Shadow Hands from numerous places to grab every single Heartless that were within her vicinity and decimated them within a short amount of time, allowing the rest of the group to take a momentary breather.

"Thanks, Luna. We really needed that," Sora thanked her after he caught his breath.

"That's quite the incredible friend you have there. Is she some kind of witch?" Jack asked in wonder.

"Oh, no, I'm not a witch. I'm actually…well…something else," Luna answered him.

"We can discuss the details later. Does anybody have the foggiest idea where this Sally lady could possibly be hiding with all those Heartless lurking about?" Medea interrupted.

At the right moment, a ghostly dog emerged from a tombstone meant for a household animal and gave out a cheerful bark to greet everyone. This got their attention, naturally with a couple different reactions.

"Whoa! What's that? Is that a ghost dog?" Sora questioned in surprise.

"I think it's adorable," Luna said as she pets the dog's white head.

Medea peeked over to the tombstone. "So, this critter was called Zero. Makes sense, I guess."

"Zero! Have you seen Sally anywhere?" Jack asked the dog.

Zero gave an excited bark as it flew towards a tombstone with a gargoyle on it, causing a small feminine gasp to suddenly come out until a woman emerged from where she had apparently been hiding. It could be seen that this lady was stitched together in a lot of places like that of a Frankenstein monster (but with no indications of malice whatsoever); heck, even her dress consisted of many patches of cloth stitched together. It had to be Sally, undoubtedly.

"Is something wrong, Jack?" she asked sweetly.

"No, everything is going great," Jack reassured her, "We're going to have the best Halloween ever. All we need now is your memory."

"Memory? You mean this?" Sally asked, presenting a small bundle of forget-me-not flowers in her hands. As Jack accepted the flowers, an uneasy look crossed her face. "Jack, I have a bad feeling about this. Why don't you try something else? There's still time."

"Nothing could beat what I've got planned!" Jack insisted confidently. "Once we give the Heartless a heart, they'll dance just as I envisioned it. Trust me. You're going to love it!"

But Luna could easily tell that Sally doesn't seem too convinced that Jack's plans would be able to come to successful fruition; in a way, she was feeling the same way regarding the notion of using the Heartless for purposes that just wouldn't be able to work out, not with the dread that the creatures might not be as easy to control as they would think. Sora seemed to give off the starting impression that he might be having doubts about the experiment as well; whether he'll change his mind soon or not will depend on what happens next.

"Jack sure sounds dedicated to his vision, doesn't he?" Sora admitted, "Though, after hearing what she said, I'm not feeling so sure this would work."

"I know. I don't want to see anyone getting hurt by the Heartless because of the ideas of one person," Luna agreed worriedly, "If anything more goes wrong, then we must make sure that Jack understands the situation and make the right decisions afterwards."

"Let's find out what else we have to find before we assess the matter first," Donald suggested.

"Yup. We can't keep the doctor waiting," Goofy agreed.

"What, does the doctor have a tight schedule because he wants to do more experiments on other living subjects or whatever other creations he's got stored away?" Medea asked sarcastically.

"I doubt it," Sora answered her bluntly.

"Dammit."

"Medea, we have other matters to worry about," Luna warned her, "Try not to be offensive."

* * *

When they came back to the laboratory and presented the forget-me-nots to Dr. Finklestein (they got the name from Sally so they could identify him later on), he was very pleased that another ingredient had been found to further progress on her artificial heart. Now he had one more thing for them to find to – so he hopes – complete the progress on their labor.

"Now, just one more ingredient," Dr. Finklestein instructed them, "We need 'surprise' to complete the heart. The mayor should know where it is."

"Where could we find the mayor? The last time we saw him, he was near the laboratory door in a panic," Luna wondered.

"Who knows? He could be playing around with pumpkins for all I care," Medea replied without care.

"Funny you should say that, fellow phantom," Jack said, a little thought crossing his mind. "I believe I might know where the mayor might be."

Sora raised a brow at that. "Really?"

* * *

Jack was not kidding when he said that he an idea on where the mayor could've gotten to. With his guidance, it turned out that the coffin within the cemetery was actually a passageway to the farther section of the yard, something that nobody would've suspected at first glance. But once they traversed through the hidden door to the other side of the graveyard, they were able to locate the town mayor standing among the tombstones along with by far the biggest pumpkin they've ever seen.

"Oh, are the Heartless under control now?" the mayor asked. "That was rather frightening, those things running rampant."

"Don't worry, Mr. Mayor. We're taking care of it," Luna reassured him, "But can you help us with something? We're looking for something called 'surprise'. Do you know where it is?"

"Certainly, ma'am. It's inside this pumpkin, where it's safe," the mayor directed towards the pumpkin. "None of those creatures were able to take the surprise from there."

"I'd hate to find out what the 'surprise' really is," Medea commented.

Sora simply smashed the pumpkin to find that it was merely hollow (and not squishy from the inside, thank goodness for that) like an empty ceramic jar, and found inside that giant vegetable was a treasure chest. But when he opened it, it was found that the 'surprise' was actually just a quirky jack-in-the-box…So much for a surprise, huh?

"Is that it? A little toy is the 'surprise'?" Medea questioned, not amused at this. "That was really underwhelming."

"Maybe it's broken," Luna guessed.

"If it is, then maybe Finklestein can use it," Goofy said.

"Yeah, that's true. Let's head back and find out what happens when the experiment is finished, assuming nothing else messes it up," Sora agreed.

"Don't jinx it!" Donald warned.

Thanks to the Heartless not showing up too frequently to scare them or disrupting them, it was possible to return to the laboratory without too much of a hassle (aside from having to watch their step on their way back). Once they were back in the lab and gave the jack-in-the-box to Dr. Finklestein, he was certainly pleased that the next ingredient had been found, meaning that he would be able to test the experiment one more time to make sure that it would work for real this time around.

"There you go. This time it's sure to work," the doctor said confidently.

But just as he was about to install the heart onto the machine, all of a sudden the doctor was tripped by a small boy in a skeleton costume, causing the artificial heart to fly across the air and into the hands of a boy in a devil costume alongside a girl in a witch costume; before anyone could do anything to stop them from escaping, the three rascals ran off with the heart out of the lab and into the town!

"What the hell?! Who were those brats?" Medea shouted in disbelief.

"It's Lock, Shock, and Barrel! They've got the heart!" Jack exclaimed, horrified at what happened before their eyes.

At full haste, everyone made a mad dash out of the lab and into the town square once more; but just as they did, they were too late. The three troublemakers had already disappeared from town and have left elsewhere.

"We lost them!" Sora groaned in dismay.

"Where could they have gone?" Luna questioned anxiously.

Jack looked around for a moment, but then pats his leg as though he were calling for his pet to come at the call. At the most opportune moment, Zero arrived at the scene, ready to help out at the first chance.

"Zero, after them! Quick!" Jack commanded.

In an instant, Zero picked up the trail of the thieves and led the party through the graveyard to find the malicious trick-or-treaters escaping over the hill – while riding away in a big, walking bathtub of all things! Though, they were too late in catching them since the hill that they crossed had curled back into its normal form.

Medea was confounded at the sight. "Seriously?! A bathtub? Who the hell rides in a giant bathtub?"

"Never mind that! We need to go after them," Donald dismissed it.

"But how do we do that?" Luna asked. "There's no bridge."

"Oh, that's easy," Jack answered. He snapped his bony fingers and the curly hill immediately uncurled itself to form a bridge to leave for the outside borders beyond Halloween Town. "Now we can catch up to them."

Sora was quite impressed. "Wow! That was incredible!"

"Damn, bonehead, you make things way too easy," Medea admitted.

Now that the party had a way to continue the chase outside of the town, it was possible to follow the naughty children across the bridge over the river until they found themselves at a poorly crafted bridge leading to what might as well be a badly assembled treehouse in the middle of a large valley. In fact, the structure of the house looked like someone tried to make a treehouse by gathering numerous scraps of bricks and tiles and cramming them into every available space, and then putting up bridges all over the place without proper arrangements and stuffing jack-o-lanterns on every fence pike as well as a giant lantern on one of the branches.

"I knew Oogie Boogie was behind all this!" Jack exclaimed, a hint of bitterness evident.

"Whoever this Oogie is doesn't sound like someone I'd wanna be around," Medea commented.

"We'd better locate those kids and get them to tell us where their boss is," Sora suggested.

"Good idea," Goofy agreed.

It wasn't too track them down, thank goodness, since they were able to spot the kids hurrying up the path towards a small room that only they would have access to. The finale of the chase led them all the way up to the playroom; though, it was already too late for them. The children threw the artificial heart into a vent leading to who knows where within the makeshift house. But then, they turned around to find that they've got company.

"Alright, give it up now!" Sora demanded. "Where'd you send the heart to?"

"Uh-oh!" all three of them cried out.

"We're not telling you what we did to the heart!" Lock refused to talk.

"Nope, not a word!" Barrel added.

"Mind your own business!" Shock added.

Medea grew irritated at this. "Somebody's asking for some punishment."

Luna started to walk towards the children, a death glare emanating from her eyes. "Let me deal with them. I'll make the naughty children start talking…"

All three children, the instant they saw Luna's death glare, cried out, "Scram!"

Within mere minutes, Luna's Shadow Hands emerged as the pranksters made a desperate attempt to escape from her fury, but couldn't escape the strong grips of the hands that snatched them off their feet and forced them into a corner like naughty children punished by the parent. Even after the terror was over, most of the spectators couldn't help but show rather freaked out faces at Luna's terrifying discipline on the pranksters (except for Medea, who had a feeling her master was going to resort to such drastic non-violent measures, and Jack since he doesn't seem the type to get frightened at anything due to having been masterminding the holiday horrors for as long as he has).

Now that she got them cornered, Luna took liberties to convince them to tell their dirty secrets.

"Now then, children, will you kindly make it easier for us and tell us where the heart is?" Luna asked, her sweet voice bearing an icy tone that could strike fear in the worst of bullies. "We'd like to know who has an interest in such a dangerous item and have a little word with him about it."

Shock, not wanting any trouble, spilled the beans. "We were just following orders! Oogie Boogie told us to steal the heart. It's all Barrel's fault! It was his idea to tell Oogie Boogie about the heart."

"Yeah, that's right!" Lock agreed, pointing an accusing finger at Barrel.

Barrel got upset at that. "B-But you guys said –"

"You should be ashamed!" Shock argued.

Medea groaned in exasperation. "Great! Now they're playing the blame game on each other."

"Just tell us where Oogie Boogie is!" Sora demanded, not feeling patient at this point.

"Oogie Boogie told us not to give away his hiding place," Barrel replied, trying and failing to deny anything. "Oh, and we're not supposed to talk about the lever either."

But then, the sound of a lever being pulled was heard, as well as the sound of the mechanisms starting up and opening something from outside. The three pranksters jolted in horror at the realization that they had given away important information, but it was too late since now the pursuers know where to go to find the real perpetrator of the sabotage. Sora and Luna turned to see that Jack had pulled the lever without anyone paying attention to it.

"Good work, Jack. At least we can keep going, thanks to these children," Luna said sweetly.

"Quite right about that, Luna. Now all we have to do is track down Oogie and get the heart back," Jack agreed wholeheartedly.

* * *

Now, it was not too hard to discern where the monster in charge of the treehouse manor was hiding himself along with the hearts; at the very bottom of the house nestled a bright green door that looked like it should come from a casino that used to do shady business for too long. It was rather creepy to look at if someone thinks about it long enough.

"That's where this Oogie Boogie's hiding?" Medea questioned. "I hate to see what kind of decoration he used in there."

"I just don't wanna get killed in there," Sora commented.

The door forced to open, the party entered into the chamber to find that the entire room looked almost like that of a casino, but taken to a much more dangerous level than any normal person would even dare consider. Not only was there a giant roulette wheel dipping below the stage, but there were also lottery cowboy machines with guns as well as spiraling wheels with blades that were created to slice anything apart; hanging up above is a set of blades set against a column that would be lowered down onto the wheel to chop anything in the middle of the wheel into mincemeat.

But farther down the stage of the deadly casino was the fat sack of bugs behind the trouble of Halloween Town – none other than Oogie boogie himself!

"Oogie Boogie, give me back the heart!" Jack demanded.

"You want it? Well then, come on over and get it!" Oogie taunted. He then took the artificial heart, shoved it into his mouth and then swallowed the whole thing up like nothing.

"Ugh! That just makes me wanna vomit," Medea gagged in disgust.

But Oogie just laughed proudly at his job. "Now, let's see if I can get their attention. Oh, Heartless!"

At his call, a few winged gargoyles Heartless showed up by his side. But oddly, they didn't do anything else – almost as though there was not good enough reception for the one who held the heart inside of him.

"This is it?" Oogie questioned, noticing the lack of response. Then, he started to get angry. "Nobody disrespects me! Nobody!"

The machines started to turn on, and everyone was forced to contend with Oogie Boogie's explosive dice blocks as well as the occasional traps and Heartless that would make more trouble for the party. Sora, along with Donald and Goofy did their best to stave off the Heartless that showed up in the arena while Luna had Medea and Jack helping her contend with anything the sack of bugs dared to throw at them.

"How in the hell are we supposed to reach that overweight potato sack?!" Medea growled.

"The switches! Try the switches on the wheel!" Donald brought up as he narrowly avoided getting blown up.

Sora took the initiative by hitting one of the buttons around the roulette wheel, causing one of the slots of the wheels to form protective spikes around them whilst above them another set of spikes kept the walking bag cornered with no chance of escape. Among those on the wheel, Sora and Luna were able to seize the opportunity to pounce on assaulting Oogie at the first chance – with one little mishap that really backfired on the gambling boogeyman in the process.

"Well, look at that! Who'd have thought a beautifully creepy lady would be making trouble 'round this town?" Oogie wondered with disturbing fascination at Luna and her Shadow Hands. "What does that white-haired pipsqueak see in you anyway? I'd wager that I'd get a jackpot having you helpin' me out."

But Luna, revolted at his speech, was having none of that. "Eew! Leave me alone!"

"Get your slimy maggots away from my master, you overgrown sack of insects!"

At the right moment, Medea jumped up from the roulette wheel and swiped at Oogie Boogie's body so hard that the holes in his body caused the bugs and jittery creepy crawlies started spilling out rather quickly, leaving nothing but an empty sack of a body as well as the artificial heart which no longer was functional.

"So, that heart was a failure after all," Jack said in disappointment.

"Well, guess we'd better tell the doctor what happened," Goofy suggested.

"Yeah, I don't want to stick around here any longer than we already have," Sora was in full agreement. "Plus, I think Luna doesn't want to be around those bugs anytime soon."

"That was disgusting," Luna sighed in dismay.

Under unanimous agreement of not wanting to stick around the creepy gambler's manor any longer, everyone began to make their way out of the abode back to the town to report to the mad doctor. But just as they had crossed the bridge, a mighty tremor rumbled through the area, catching everybody off guard and forcing them to turn around to see what just happened behind their backs – and boy, were they in for a shocking surprise!

Not only did Oogie Boogie come back to life – in a manner of speaking, depending on how someone looks at it – but he somehow was able to fuse himself with his own manor, turning himself into a monster house with mixed parts of his woven sack body and the many parts of the treehouse they had just crossed not long before.

"Whoa! How did he get so big?" Sora exclaimed in pure shock.

"Sora, look over there!" Luna pointed out towards the strange purple orbs attached to different parts of the manor's body. "Those orbs are brimming with the power of darkness!"

"Perhaps Oogie Boogie is drawing power from those dark globs!" Jack agreed, ready to fight again.

"So we just have to destroy those things, right?" Sora asked.

"But how're we gonna do that? Oogie's gonna notice what we're doing," Donald dreaded getting caught in the act.

"Leave that to me," Medea declared as she started to crack her knuckles. "I'll keep that freak occupied on me until you guys destroy those blobs on him."

Before anyone could do anything to stop her, Medea jumped off the edge of the Cliffside only to reappear at nearly the same gargantuan size as the possessed manor, her Black Claws ready to tear apart the persistent boogeyman in a whole new way. True to her word, because she was standing in the way of Oogie's sight, this allowed the rest of the party to jump down from the cliffs and sneak their way up and onto the body from the very bottom.

From below, they could hear the Shadow Guardian give a taunt to get his attention. "Hey! Guess who's come to start a demolition job?"

Oogie started to make a move to swing the lantern in a fit of anger, but Medea was the quicker and was able to grab the outstretched left arm before she landed several strong punches against him until the giant monster had enough of being treated like a huge punching bag. Not wanting to remain stationary, the possessed manor uprooted itself from the ground until the very roots below formed in alignment like that of crab's legs and started to move away.

But Medea would have none of that. "Get back here, you sorry excuse for a worn-out shack!"

As all of this was going on, though, Sora and Luna and the others had already split up to search and destroy every dark glob that was scattered across Oogie's body. Granted, there were times where the lurching and the movements going on from above them would stumble their footing (but in the Guardian's defense, she was more of trying to get a good beating at the boogeyman and Oogie was the one who was making much more movement due to the hits he was taking). But when he managed to uproot himself and start moving around the area, it made traversing all over him much more dangerous and required extra caution not to fall off at all costs.

"Is it really a good idea to let Medea smash up Oogie like this?" Sora questioned as he finished destroying one of the globs.

"Don't worry. Medea's dealt with giant things before," Luna reassured him, "like the one time we fought a big titan made of ice. It was a hard fight, but with her help, it was possible to do even the preposterous."

He was a bit surprised at this. "That explains a lot."

With much effort on both ends of the battle, Medea made a lot of effort to fight off Oogie Boogie until everyone else had demolished all of the globs – though, there was one moment where he used his giant lantern to shoot fire at her, but all that did was peeve her off enough to put more force in her claws and her punches, smashing apart much of the manor all the while. In the meantime, the rest of the party were able to finish off all the dark globs and weaken Oogie just enough to render him completely helpless and vulnerable to the finishing blow.

Not wanting to get caught in the collapse, everyone jumped off and hurried far beyond the vicinity of the house while Medea completed the job by unleashing a downward punch so powerful that it made the rest of Oogie and his manor crumble into nothing but dust to scatter into the crossing winds.

"We did it!" Donald cheered excitedly.

Luna sighed in relief. "Thank goodness that the horrible creature is finished."

With her work done, Medea shrunk down to her normal size – but due to how much power it took and how long she maintained her giant size, the poor woman stumbled a bit from weakness and would've collapsed if Goofy hadn't caught her in time.

"Gawrsh, are you okay, Medea?" Goofy asked, concerned for the Guardian's well-being.

"I'm fine…but I think I'm gonna need a long rest after what I did," Medea replied wearily, "It's not too often I get to change my size at will…"

At the right moment, a giant keyhole formed where Oogie's manor once stood, which allowed Sora to fulfill his job and use his keyblade to lock it and thus prevent any more Heartless from ever harassing this world for a good long while. Luna used her shadow powers to check for any sign of the Heartless, but once she sensed nothing, she nodded in satisfaction at the work done.

"Well, I guess we'd better head back," Jack said as he started to walk away.

"Yes, I think we should," Luna agreed on it, "The doctor would need to know what happened to the heart…and I'm sure that Sally must be so worried."

But as they started to turn back to the town, Luna stopped when she noticed a small spark of light behind her back; this made her turn around to find a small block perfectly shaped in the form of a star. Naturally, her curiosity got the best of her, compelling her to pick it up and examine it long enough for an innocent child's voice to ring within her memories:

 _"_ _Hey, Tink, what if I looked for something star-shaped just like that shard thing, and the next time we meet, I can give it to you to put in the chest? Is that okay with you?"_

That was when Luna recalled that she had made a promise to an old friend; it felt so long ago, and yet she knew that there was a promise she had to keep. Quickly, she slipped the star block into her satchel and hurried to catch up with the rest of the group before they question what was holding her up.

* * *

When they returned to town and rendezvoused back to the lab, they explained to Dr. Finklestein and Sally about what happened to the artificial heart and of the trouble Oogie Boogie almost caused to the town in its entirety.

Needless to say, the doctor was very disappointed that the heart couldn't be recovered, but Sally was certainly relieved that the madness of the Heartless was gone from the town for good.

Jack hung his sadly as he apologized for all the trouble he brought. "Sally, why didn't I listen to you?"

"Don't feel bad, Jack. We'll come up with another plan for Halloween," Sally reassured him sweetly, "Next time, we'll do it together."

The pumpkin king then turned to Sora and the others. "I guess we have no choice. We'll have to cancel this Halloween festival for now."

"Don't worry, Mr. Jack. I'm sure you'll come with something much better for the Halloween festival," Luna assured him.

"Just do us a favor and don't bring any Heartless into it," Medea added, peeking out from Luna's shadow.

"Emotion, memory…We put in all the necessary ingredients. What else do you need to make a heart?" Dr. Finklestein questioned, frustrated at the failed experiment. "What is a heart, anyway? I can't figure it out."

Sora shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly, all I can say is that the heart is made up of so much more than we think there is. It's a rather complicated thing to understand."

Luna nodded. "That is true. There are many emotions that come with it, and that is just a small fragment of a bigger picture."

* * *

After saying their goodbyes and promises to visit when there is a chance, the party returned to the gummi ship and got to return to their normal selves. From there, the ship began to fly off to find another world to explore.

Inside her cabin, Luna would've loved to be able to sleep peacefully after chasing naughty children, fighting Heartless, and intentionally destroying somebody's house to eliminate an even bigger threat, but for some reason she couldn't even find the chance to do so. She couldn't help getting that strange feeling that something is coming their way. Though she couldn't put her finger as to what is approaching their position, she knew that it was dangerous…and eerily familiar to her.

Not only that, but she sensed the faint trace of emotions from unknown sources. One of them was burning with vengeance, which certainly felt familiar to her. But the other one had growing flickers of… knowing anticipation? Why was that? Was someone expecting her and Sora?


	15. Chapter 14: Return to Neverland

**OHMIGOD!**

 **Hello, guys! Lilith here, and I FINALLY got the next chapter out after an unintentional long hiatus!**

 **...Okay, okay, I need to chill down and just get some questions cleared up: I've been heavily distracted, some things were going on, and I've been a bit more focused on other fics of mine and that made just getting THIS ONE CHAPTER OUT! *takes a second to calm down***

 **In any case, I am terribly sorry for the wait, all of you! For the past few days, I was desperate to get this bugger out. If anything of this chapter felt a little rushed to you, then I am sorry about that. I just wanted to get it done or else I'd regret and even longer delay. But if you like what I've delivered, great!**

 **For the record, this chapter is heavily Luna-centered, so you've been warned. I promise the next chapter will have more focus on Sora to balance it out. other than that, you'll be fine.**

 **As usual, constructive reviews are welcome. Rude words are not welcome!**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave me a review (or a welcome back if you want!), but no flames allowed.**

* * *

Chapter 14: Return to Neverland

"Say, uh, Luna…We hadn't seen Medea in a while. Is she sick?"

When she realized that the question was coming from Goofy, Luna turned from the window to find that the comical knight was looking around as he was searching for where the Guardian could be hiding. That was when it occurred to her that nobody has ever seen how exhausted her protector was after the confrontation with Oogie Boogie when he possessed his own manor; only she noticed it because she recalled how tired Medea was after the confrontation with the Ice Colossus ten years ago.

"No, Medea's not sick. She just needs a little time to regain her strength after changing her size in the last battle," Luna assured her friend, "I guess because she doesn't use it often, she hasn't overcome the depletion of stamina she suffers after using it. It wasn't the first time this happened to her."

"If she was having that kind of problem, why doesn't she seek medical attention?" Donald asked.

That was when Medea raised her head out from Luna's shadow. "Hey, it's not that simple. It's like Luna said: I haven't adapted yet. Besides, I may have been involved with her for years, but I am still a budding shadowy being that has yet to expand her potential."

"Hey, guys! We've got something from our pals in Traverse Town."

Sora's rather timely interruption shifted everyone's attention as he just finished up with the fax machine and pulled out a couple sheets of paper. Wondering what it is he received, most of the party gathered around to see what's in his hands, and what the matter was about.

"Aerith provided a translation for those research reports that have been picked up so far," Sora told them as he showed the paper. "I've been sending them to our friends from Traverse Town as we journeyed through the worlds."

"I wasn't aware that you were doing that," Luna admitted.

"I dunno how Sora finds the chance to grab them during our trip," Donald confessed, "but we got something, I guess."

As Sora handed them the papers, Luna examined the reports that have been sent to find that they were apparently documented by a person with a name that felt suspiciously familiar…but she didn't have any idea where she did.

 _'_ _I believe darkness sleeps in every heart, no matter how pure. Given the chance, the smallest drop can spread and swallow the heart. I have witnessed it many times._

 _Darkness…Darkness of the heart. How is it born?_

 _How does it affect us so?_

 _As ruler of this world, I must find the answers. I must find them before the world is lost to those taken by the darkness.'_

"Gee, that feller must be a pretty curious person to write this, huh?" Goofy wondered.

"I don't know…It may sound that way," Luna answered as she kept reading. "But something about this…I don't know what bothers me about it."

But then, something among the few reports found caused Luna to suddenly develop a bitter frown at what was written in it. Her hands started to tighten as she read the last bit of the report sent to them, nearly crinkling the paper in the process.

 _'_ _The shadows that crawl beneath the castle…Are they the people who lost their hearts, or incarnations of darkness? Or something entirely beyond my imagination?_

 _All my knowledge has provided no answer. One thing I am sure of is that they are entirely devoid of emotion. Perhaps further study will unlock the mysteries of the heart._

 _Fortunately, there is no shortage of test samples. They are multiplying underground even as I write this report._

 _They still need a name. Those who lack hearts…I will call them the Heartless.'_

"Hey, are you okay, Luna?"

Sora's questioned snapped her out of it as Luna turned to her friends. "What…? What do you mean?"

"You were frowning at the report, and almost crushed the paper," Goofy pointed out.

Luna looked down at her hands a moment, realizing what she was doing, and – not wanting to make any more trouble – carefully handed the documents back to Sora so that she wouldn't do anything worse than she already did.

"I'm sorry about that. I don't…know what came over me," Luna apologized. But then she felt uneasy. "Something about those reports just…bothered me for some strange reason. Something about it reminds of something sinister I've known about before. But…I don't remember too clearly where exactly this happened, or who was involved for that matter."

"You think it might have something to do with your fragmented memory?" Sora asked.

Luna shook her head. "I don't know."

But then, when everyone least expected it; an alarm began to sound off in the cockpit, sending everybody aboard the ship into a state of alert despite not knowing what exactly is the cause. Their confusion was answered, though, when a giant, wooden ship sailed through the wide space of the skies and was about to head right towards them without a second warning.

"Is that what I think it is?" Luna gasped in shock.

"Uh, a big ship is coming toward us," Goofy observed.

"Quite gawking! That's a pirate ship!" Donald panicked as he tried to steer the ship.

"It's going to hit us! Hold on to something!" Sora panicked.

Before anyone could make any response or take any course of action, the pirate ship made a collision course at their gummi ship, causing the entire craft to lurch violently from the impact of the wooden vessel. The last thing Luna could recall happening to her was her being forced from her seat and hitting her head against the wall, rendering her unconscious just as Sora also fell over and slammed somewhere else…

* * *

When she regained consciousness, Luna woke up to find Sora using a Cure spell on her and Donald and Goofy were nowhere to be found.

"Hey, you okay, Luna?" Sora asked in concern. "You hit your head pretty hard. Thank goodness it wasn't serious."

Luna looked around the cockpit. "Sora…where is Donald and Goofy? What happened to them? Did they get grabbed by the travelers of the pirate ship?"

"I don't know. When I came to, I noticed they were gone, but we were left alone," Sora replied, "I guess someone wanted us to come aboard their ship, and used our friends to do just that."

Medea emerged from the shadow for a moment. "If that's the case, then it could very well be a trap. You two had better be careful this time."

"We'll be careful. Just take it easy a little longer, Medea," Sora reassured her.

After Medea returned into the shadow to rest a little more, Luna followed Sora out of the gummi ship to find their comrades on the ship that they collided with. Upon boarding the deck of the ship, it brought back a sense of familiarity within her that made her suspect what she believes it is: the sails, the cannons, everything about the vessel reminded her of a particular place that she had once been to before besides the coliseum years before. But then, something within her childhood memory sparked back a realization of where they found themselves exactly: if this was a pirate ship, then that could only mean…

"Sora…I think we'd better get Donald and Goofy," Luna warned nervously, "and get out of here as quickly as we can."

Sora turned her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't think you'd come, Sora. I knew Luna would, though." Startled by the familiar voice greeting them, Luna and Sora turned around to find Riku on the higher level of the deck. "Good to see you both again."

"Where are Donald and Goofy?" Sora demanded.

"Where is Kairi, for that matter?" Luna added.

An icy look crossed Riku's gaze. "Are they that important to you? More important than old friends? Instead of worry about them, you should be more worried about her, like Luna."

He moved to the side to reveal that Kairi was hidden behind him, prompting the shock of Sora and Luna. But the latter quickly figured out that something was not quite right about her friend: though she was undoubtedly there, she was in no better condition than an empty shell of her former self, lacking the personality of a living being. It didn't really help that her eyes were vacant and glassy, whilst her body was more like a puppet without the strings to support their movement.

"No…What happened to her?" Luna gasped quietly.

"Kairi!" Sora exclaimed.

"That's right. While you were out goofing around and dragging Luna everywhere with you, I finally found her," Riku told them.

Thinking this to be the only chance to retrieve their friend before things got any worse, Sora was about to get over there to save Kairi, but was stopped by a curved hook belonging to the owner of the ship. Luna immediately recognized him as Captain Hook, the pirate that caused a lot of trouble back in Neverland years ago when she was last there with Ventus.

"Not so fast. No shenanigans aboard my vessel, boy," the captain warned. But the instant he noticed Luna; he had a sense of familiar knowing – mostly bad memories. "You! You're that brat who threw me to the crocodile!"

But Luna completely ignored the captain as her focus was more towards the immobile Kairi, not making any response to her or Sora being within the vicinity of the deck…that is, until she noticed just a slight shift of her head, directing the empty gaze towards her. She didn't know what caused it, but she didn't have the time to worry about that either.

"Riku, why are you siding with the Heartless?" Sora demanded, upset at what his friend was doing.

"The Heartless obey me now, Sora," Riku answered, "Now I have nothing to fear."

"You're stupid," Sora insisted, "Sooner or later, they'll swallow your heart!"

Luna shook her head. "Listen, Riku, you don't understand! I've seen what happens to those who slide too far into the dark. Jafar, Ursula…when they pursued the most selfish of goals, they become nothing more than monsters, no better than slaves to their demons!"

"Not a chance. My heart's too strong." Riku looked over to Luna with assurance. "Don't worry about it, Luna. I know what I'm doing." But then he gave a harsher look towards Sora. "I've picked up a few tricks along the way. Like this, for instance."

Riku raised his hand out towards them and, without a word of warning, Sora's shadow below him stretched out and a blackened copy of him emerged from the shadow. Sora jumped from shock at what just happened right in front of him, whereas Luna could only watch dumbstruck at what she was seeing; but neither of them were prepared for what else was about to come next under their noses.

"You can go see your friends now. But Luna stays with me."

 _'_ _Luna, move!'_ Medea's screamed in Luna's mind.

Almost by instinct, a Shadow Hand rose from her shadow and grabbed Luna, elevating her off the deck just as a trapdoor opened up beneath Sora's feet and dropped him inside the ship. As much as she wanted to find Sora and her comrades and get out of here as soon as possible, her chances of doing so was ultimately diminished when she felt herself being pulled out of its grasp and was brought onto the higher part of the deck – which she comes to realize that she was now in Riku's hands, and has nowhere to run, not with the pirate Heartless all around the deck.

"It's alright, Luna. You have nothing to worry about," Riku reassured her before turning back to the lower deck with a command. "Let's get under way already. And keep Sora away from Kairi and Luna until we're ready to land."

Before she could question what he was thinking, Riku led her away to the captain's cabin just as Luna caught one glimpse of the Heartless taking Kairi below the vessel; but now that it was just her, she found herself inside the cabin, out of the reach of everyone else. To complicate things a little more, she was alone with Riku, who had just closed the door behind him before turning back to her, obviously more than pleased that he found what he was after.

"Luna, I've found a way to help Kairi," he told her, "a way to restore her heart."

"Restore her heart?" Luna asked, baffled at what she was hearing. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? I mean that I've found a solution to save Kairi, restore her heart so that she can be with us again," Riku explained, "Maleficent told me that if the seven Princesses of Heart are found and brought together, then there might be a way to find Kairi's heart and bring her back to us. If there's anything you know about the Princesses – or anything that might hasten Kairi's recovery – then maybe your help could actually be of greater benefit."

As much as Luna wanted to offer a word of wisdom on the problem of saving Kairi, she recalled that he associated himself with the worst person possible and – thinking back on her clearer childhood memories – she did remember about what dangers occurred to those who were wrongly harmed by the vilest of villains for the sake of their selfish gains. In fact, she knew all too well about how dangerous it was to be within the vicinity of anyone with malicious intentions, and how those who don't identify the warning signs suffer the consequences, all the while realizing too late what manner of mess they've made. But how on earth could she possibly warn Riku about this if he wouldn't hear her out or at least take her word very seriously the last two times they encountered each other?

All the same, she had to keep trying…If only to prevent him from suffering the same fate as her lost brother.

"Riku, as much as I want to help, there's just…There's just something about your ideas that just makes me disagree with it. Maleficent is a terrible woman, and I would know because she did terrible things to not only an innocent princess, but she also manipulated my brother into doing something he would never do of his own will," Luna tried to reason with him again. "There were even other bad people that tried to exploit my brother, and it brought harm to other people who never asked to be used or toyed with. It was because of them that I…" She could easily notice her faltering in her speech due to her dread of recalling the darker part of her memories, but she forced herself to try and tell him. "I…I lost several loved ones, people who tried to take care of me…my friends…even my brother. If you really want to help Kairi, then please…stop aiding the witch in her cruel ambitions! Just talk to Sora, and maybe we can find an alternative option to saving her, without causing more assaults on other worlds."

Unfortunately, despite her efforts to try and persuade him into reconsidering his terrible choices, it was pretty clear that he was very disappointed at what might as well be her refusal to accept the offered proposition. But with the mention of Sora's name, though, a very annoyed frown crossed his face – which gave Luna a good reason to dread what problem he's developed over someone he had known for so long.

"Honestly, how do you put with him? Everywhere you went with him and those new friends of yours," There was evident jealousy in Riku's voice at the implication of Donald and Goofy, "he would continually dawdle after all his boasts on wanting to save Kairi. Only you still have enough dedication to her to at least try to find her despite what situation you got yourself into. Don't you want to help her?"

Luna frowned in disappointment. "I won't deny that I want to help her, Riku. But I don't want to help someone with vile ambitions accomplish their goals. I don't want to say it again, but Maleficent is someone you shouldn't trust. She's a vile witch, and is not someone to listen to."

Riku sighed as he shook his head and turned away. "I should've guessed…Maleficent was right about you. Your impressionable mind made you too quick to judge her. That's why you don't trust her in the slightest." He then turned back to her. "It was with the help of Maleficent that I was able to find Kairi, even though she was left in that state you've seen her in. I was able to know where you were because of her help, or else tracking down Sora would've been even more difficult. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't even be where I am right now."

She should've known that Maleficent had a lot of influence over Riku; after all that she's been through, Luna realized that any chances of getting her friends back together will only continue to decrease if one remained under the thumb of the wrong person for too long.

But before she could question anything or try to find a way out of her precarious situation, she got herself a bit of a startle when Riku approached her a little too close for comfort. If she didn't hear anything else in the room, she could've sworn that her heart might've been beating pretty loudly from anxiety. And it really didn't help that she didn't have it in her to fight back against him since he hasn't even threatened her, at least not at the moment.

"Be honest. You **_do_** want to help Kairi," he asked her intently, "You want to, don't lie to me."

"I would…but I still don't agree with who you're helping," Luna answered despite her discomfort. "Nothing you do will convince me otherwise –"

When she least expected it – and a little bit thankful that Sora was not around to watch this incident unfolding – in mere moments, Luna suddenly felt herself on the receiving end of Riku's rather abrupt kiss on her lips. Really, she wasn't prepared for quite the unforeseen action, more so when she felt her facial cheeks burning up in shock; but at the very least, her hands made the right move by latching against the desk behind her to keep herself from keeling over from the haphazard impact she just felt.

By the time he was done delivering that surprise, Luna was already blushing from the sheer embarrassment and shock, and reeling a little whilst trying to regain her footing.

"Why did you do that?" Luna questioned while gasping for breath.

"Isn't it obvious? I thought you'd know after being with us all those years," Riku answered, "As relieved as I was when you regained much of the innocent girl I first met years before, it still hurt that something is still weighing you down and you couldn't tell me what. If you come along with me, perhaps we can save Kairi together. Maybe we can uncover the real reason why your mind was broken in the first place."

As tempting as it was to accept Riku's proposition to help Kairi, the last thing he said perplexed her as she didn't have the foggiest where he got such an implication that her mental state was badly broken prior to arriving at Destiny Islands. Where did he get the idea that something terrible happened to her before she found herself on the islands with a serious gap within her memory? Who could've told him about it?

But before she could ask him about it, a dark portal formed in the cabin, and a familiar villainous witch made her second appearance directly.

Luna gave a death glare as several Shadow Hands appeared around her, ready to strike at any moment. "You…!"

"Now, now, little girl. I'm not here to fight," Maleficent answered her, apparently not interested in a confrontation. "You should thank me for taking care of your admirer. Isn't it amusing how far someone would go for someone they love?" The witch then turned to Riku. "Unfortunately, it's confirmed that Wendy is not one of the seven Princesses of Heart. That means we are still one short, and the seventh has yet to be found."

Riku folded his arms. "I see. Then we'll leave her behind. Now that I have Luna, we don't need to worry about anything else."

This raised a few alarm bells inside Luna's mind after she heard this. When did she agree to go along with Riku? Clearly he would've known that there was something wrong with the things he did, and that what he just said is a warning sign of bad influence from the wrong crowd of people! It convinced her beyond a shadow of a doubt that Maleficent must've been brainwashing him into doing the terrible things on her behalf, probably in exchange for retrieving Kairi and reuniting with Luna. Now how was she going to get herself out of this problem?

"I'm not going, not with the witch around," she refused.

You're not continuing with Sora this time," Riku insisted. "I've let you go one too many times, and I'm not about to let that happen again."

Just hearing her friend say that sparked a little irritation in Luna's mind, wishing that she had a little more help in snapping Riku to his senses. It really didn't help that Maleficent showed a pleased smile before she disappeared through the dark portal to someplace else, leaving the young Shadow Mage alone again with her backstabbing friend.

Not too long after the witch departed, Captain Hook entered the cabin to give his report on the situation.

"Are Sora and his friends still locked up?" Riku asked the captain, all the while pulling Luna close to him.

"Yes, I'm sure, which will make bringing Wendy along that much easier," Hook replied.

 _'_ _Who could Wendy be? Is she involved with this?'_ Luna wondered in her mind.

 _'_ _Could be. I'm not familiar with that name, though,'_ Medea answered her in her thoughts.

"Don't bother. She's not one of the Princesses," Riku informed the pirate.

Hook was shocked at this. "What? So Wendy's not one of the chosen ones?"

"There are seven of them, supposedly," Riku explained, "and Maleficent says she's not one of them." That confirmed it, leaving one innocent soul safe from danger. "Hoist anchor as soon as possible. Leave all the dead weight behind, including her."

That got Luna unnerved. "Riku, you won't leave her somewhere dangerous, would you?"

At that question, Riku rubbed her arm in reassurance. "Don't worry, Luna. I won't be crazy enough to do that. She'll be dropped off someplace harmless."

"…Very well," She was appeased at this.

"After all the trouble of capturing her?" Hook fumed angrily, obviously displeased at the work done for nothing. "And why those seven? What is Maleficent planning anyway?"

"Who knows?" Riku shrugged. "As long as it means getting Kairi's heart back, I couldn't care less."

The captain scoffed at this. "You're wasting your time! The Heartless have devoured that girl's heart. I'll stake me other hand that it's lost forever."

That ticked Luna off a bit. "No! If they did, I would've noticed it…somehow! Kairi's heart is still around. There's just no clue where."

After her abrupt outburst, Luna was surprised at Riku's pleased smile towards her. "She's right. I will find it, no matter what." He pulled her closer. "With Luna's help, perhaps she can locate where Kairi's heart has gone to."

That didn't sit well for her. Just hearing his insistence on her aid made Luna wish she didn't make that comment moments earlier, even though she was making an objection to someone who doesn't even know how hearts work.

But before any protesting could be made from her, a timid voice piped up from the speakers.

"Uh, Captain…"

Captain Hook turned his attention away to answer. "What?"

"The prisoners have escaped. What's more, Peter Pan is with them."

An inaudible gasp slipped out of Luna's mouth at that familiar name. _'Peter Pan is here? Then that means Sora is out, and he is probably looking for me and Kairi.'_

But Hook was outraged at the news. "Blast that Peter Pan! All right, then! Bring the hostage to me cabin, Smee! Hop to it!"

 _'_ _Hey, that's your cue, Luna! Get the hell outta here, now!'_ Medea ordered from inside the shadow.

Just as Riku and the captain were distracted by the Guardian's voice, Luna seized this opportunity to make her escape as quickly as possible. Within seconds, she hastily sank into her own shadow – to the shock of Riku – and slinked her way across the floor and down the narrow gap of the hatch to the decks below, hoping to be able to catch her friends and warn them as soon as she found them. If another familiar friend from her childhood is there with her pals, then perhaps it might make escaping the pirate ship much easier…

* * *

Inside the lower cabin below the captain's quarters, a young girl in a blue dress heard a strange sound closing in to her location and turned to find a black shadowy form entering the room. But then a strange lady emerged from the shadow, looking around in curiosity until she turned to her direction.

"I am sorry. My name is Luna," Luna apologized politely, "Are you…a captive on this ship?"

"Yes, I am. My name is Wendy," Wendy answered her, "but I am not the only prisoner on board, it seems. Those creatures kept another girl in here with me, but she hasn't been moving for a while."

Out of curiosity, Luna turned around to find that Kairi was undoubtedly here, not making any movement. Worried for her foster sister, she hurried over and knelt down to her to check her conditions – if only to make sure nothing serious happened to her, aside from the absence of a heart. All the same, it hurt her to know first-hand what had happened to her friend.

"Kairi…how cruel you had to end up like this," she couldn't help shaking her head sadly, "If only I knew how to help you…"

But right when she least expected it, Kairi slowly moved her left arm up to Luna's face and gently touched her cheek, almost as though she were – albeit with no words being spilled out – reassuring her that she wasn't at fault. It made her wonder what could've caused her to react like this, even though she doesn't have her heart in the first place. Was there something she was missing all those years ago, or did she have some form of knowledge about Kairi's situation but forgot about it some years prior?

A ringing sound suddenly caught her ears, causing Luna to shift her attention to where it might be coming from…which was right below her.

"What is it, Tink?"

Now there's a familiar voice if Luna ever heard one: that could only belong to the perpetual child of Neverland.

This apparently also caught Wendy's attention as she recognized the voice and peered through the net below their feet.

"Peter? Peter Pan?" Wendy asked as she looked down.

Luna joined in, and could make out the familiar faces inside the room down below them. She could see that Sora, Donald, and Goofy are all there and freed from the brig, and she also could see her two Neverland friends looking through as well; after being around the wrong crowd, it was refreshing to see her own comrades again.

"Hello there, Peter. Hello, Tink. How are you?" Luna asked sweetly.

"Luna! Luna, you're okay!" Sora cried out in relief, "Thank goodness."

"What happened t' ya, Luna?" Goofy asked, "Somehow you weren't with us."

The faint sound of footsteps made Luna afraid of what's approaching. "I'll try to explain later. I think I hear something."

"Please, hurry! The pirates are coming!" Wendy implored.

That got Peter worried. "What! I'll be right there! Just hold on!"

"Wendy? Is there another girl with you, besides Luna?" Sora asked out of concern.

"Oh, why, yes. But she seems to be asleep," Wendy answered, looking towards Kairi. "She hasn't budged an inch, except when Luna arrived."

From above, Luna watched as Sora tried to reach out towards the lifeless Kairi, as though he were hoping for some form of miracle that she is still there. It was a bit heartbreaking to see, but what else could she do?

"Kairi? Kairi!" he called out to her.

To her greatest amazement, Luna watched Kairi's right arm budge towards the net, and then after a few moments, she could've sworn that she saw a small twitch from her fingers. Now how was that possible? Could Sora's presence have caused her to respond to him as much as she responded to hers?

She just had to tell him, hopefully to motivate him to come and help.

"Sora…she moved!" Luna exclaimed, "I don't know what happened, but maybe she's –"

But her words were immediately cut off when she felt someone grab her roughly and cover her mouth from behind. Although she couldn't turn enough, she could see from the corner of her eye that it was Riku who ambushed her without her knowledge.

"There you are. That was pretty clever, slipping away like that," he said to her, a bit frustrated at her escape attempt, "but not good enough to get far."

* * *

After being forcefully led out of the ship crew's cabin and back up to the captain's cabin, Luna found herself back in the precarious situation she got herself into earlier. Wendy was nowhere to be seen after the pirate Heartless abruptly showed up, but she did spot a few proceed to carry Kairi's limp body; ready to leave at any moment with the precious cargo (yeah, yeah, weird to say that, but what else could describe the situation?).

"What were you thinking, telling Sora where you are?" Riku questioned her harshly. "Are you really that determined to keep following him?"

Luna shook her head, her anger starting to rise. "Don't make me say this again, Riku: I am not going with you, not with you being involved with that witch who made trouble in the past! Nothing good will come out of dabbling into a force you don't understand, not any better than I do!"

Just moments after making her protest, it was pretty clear to her that he was far from willing to understand her problems. In fact, at the first opportunity, he was about to reach out and grab her so that she wouldn't even try to escape…or at least, he would've been able to do that, if not for one unforeseen lifesaver.

Without warning, Medea swiftly emerged from Luna's shadow and moved herself right in front of her while unleashing her Black Claws at him, forcing Riku to step back a few paces just to keep himself from losing an eye or something at the Guardian's hands. It was easily noticeable that she not only fully recovered, but her dangerous frown indicated that she was less than pleased that somebody had the gall to try and force her master into something she doesn't want to do against her will.

"Get away from her, you brat!" Medea growled.

Then, Sora and friends arrived on the scene just as Riku was about to take his leave through a dark portal with Kairi in tow, but one Luna short.

"Riku! Wait!" Sora called out, but too late.

Unfortunately, any chances to stop him or confront him was immediately cut short when the shadowy form of Sora showed up, ready to dispatch them. Needless to say, fighting against the abomination was no cakewalk, especially not when it summoned extra copies of itself to give the party even more trouble than they already needed.

"How are we supposed to get rid of these guys?" Sora questioned frantically.

"How the hell should I know?" Medea retorted, "You're the one who knows yourself better, you tell me."

After a rather frustrating chase around the captain's cabin trying to eliminate every shadow clone of Sora, they were finally able to put a stop to the nightmarish fiends that dared to mock Sora's image. Though it would've been a good time for a reprieve, the boys were more worried about what happened to their lady friend while they were forced to trek the lower sections of the ship on their own.

"What happened between you and Riku? Did he do something that hurt you in any way?" Sora asked her, just to make sure she's okay.

"Sora was really worried about you after we noticed you weren't with us," Goofy added.

Luna hung her head a little. "Well…it's…it's too hard to explain. Could we talk about it later, when we've helped Peter and Wendy?"

"Yeah, if that pirate does anything to either of them, I'd be more than happy to give that croc-fearing wimp something else to fear," Medea agreed.

Not wanting to waste any more time, the now reunited party hurried down the hatch on the other side of the captain's cabin to find that Peter had already located an alive but unconscious Wendy by the corner of the crewmen's cabin. Perhaps she had fainted from fright after the Heartless came in and took her elsewhere on the ship.

"Wendy!" Peter hurried over to her, making sure she's okay. Tink flittered around frantically, trying to get his attention. "Come on, Tink! Not now!"

Frustrated at her friend's shifted attention, Tinkerbell flew away angrily like she didn't want to speak with him for a while.

Peter, meanwhile, picked up Wendy and was about to leave with her. "Well, this is as far as I can go. I've gotta help Wendy."

Without another word, Peter Pan flew off to tend to Wendy, leaving the rest of the party to find the pixie and get off the ship as soon as possible. Sora, admittedly, couldn't help but question their situation.

"Is Peter always this way, Luna? How does Tink deal with him?" Sora asked.

"Well, he may sound like a jerk, but he's nowhere near malicious," Luna replied, "When things get tough, he's a good boy at heart. Perhaps he just has difficulty showing it in his otherwise childish behavior."

"Yeah, well, if he doesn't come back for his fairy this minute, I'll give him something to be childish about," Medea muttered.

"Maybe we'll find her completely unharmed and with no more pirates to worry about," Donald commented.

* * *

…But the duck spoke too soon on that department.

No sooner did everyone arrive on the open deck of the ship, they were greeted by more pirate Heartless accompanied by Captain Hook and Smee, who have been expecting them after all the mischief they had caused in the decks down below. And it really didn't help that they were completely surrounded.

"You just had to say that," Medea growled angrily, glaring at the now embarrassed duck.

"Quite the codfish, that Riku – running off with that girl without saying goodbye," Captain Hook mocked them, "And one other girl short, apparently."

"Run off where? Tell us, where did he go?" Sora demanded to know.

"To the ruins of Hollow Bastion, where Maleficent resides," the captain replied, "But you won't be going there." He then pulled a lantern – with Tink trapped inside it! "Unless you intend to leave your little pixie friend behind?"

It was at this point that the party was faced with a serious dilemma: either they figure out some way to save Tink, or try to confront the captain head-on and risk the pixie's life, or make a rather futile escape from the ship. And it did make things any easier with the Heartless coming closer to them, ready to pounce at any moment.

"Hand over the Keyblade and I'll spare your lives," Hook demanded, "Be glad that I'm merciful, unlike the Heartless. So, which will it be, the Keyblade or the plank?"

Now, it would've been possible to give out an answer to him if one little wrench in the works hadn't shown up: out of the blue, the sound of a ticking clock clicked below one side of the ship. At that sound alone, the captain immediately dropped his intimidating persona and became a nervous wreck, unable to take action from one particular thing he hates most.

"It's him! The crocodile that took me hand!" Hook panicked in fear. "Oh, Smee! He's after me other hand! I can't stay here!" He instantly took off to his cabin, ignoring the hostages. "Go away! Oh, I can't stand the sight of him! Smee, you take care of them!"

The door to the captain's cabin slammed shut, leaving his right-hand to deal with the situation on his own.

Medea couldn't help shaking her head at the cowardice. "Boy, does that bring back memories…"

"I would like to reminisce, but we have other problems now," Luna commented, her head toward Sora at the far edge of the plank.

Apparently with the captain out of commission due to unforeseen circumstances, Smee had to give the command as to someone walking the plank. And the first person to go ahead on was Sora. Both Donald and Goofy were pretty much panicking at this point, knowing that a friend was about to be forced to jump off the edge of the plank and let the ravenously hungry crocodile gobble him up. But before he made his move, a familiar voice called out to him…

"Fly, Sora! Just believe, and you can do it!"

After hearing this, Luna and the others watched as Sora jumped off the plank, seemingly about to end up something's dinner…but then, miraculously, reappeared and – to the surprise of the others – was flying around like Peter Pan would do.

Speaking of which, the very same boy suddenly appeared on the scene and swiped away the lantern right out from under Smee's nose, opening it to free his fairy friend from captivity.

"Thanks, Peter," Sora complimented.

"Hey, don't mention it. You didn't think I'd leave you guys and Tink behind, did you?" Peter answered proudly.

Medea rolled her eyes. "Oh, really? For a moment, I thought you were."

"Never mind that! Let's take care of the Heartless," Donald interrupted them.

With Peter Pan's assistance, it was now possible to fight off the Heartless once and for all. But since Luna was the only one who hasn't been involved with the boys for quite a while, at least Tink rectified her problem by giving her the pixie dust so that she could keep up with the battle against the more aerial fiends. Medea didn't need to worry about it, though, since she's more than capable of fighting above ground on her own.

As soon as all of the Heartless have been cleared out, the deck was pretty much empty; which meant that there's only one more enemy to deal with: Captain Hook.

"The captain hid himself in his room," Luna said, "How can we get him to come out?"

Peter smirked at the question. "Watch this."

While positioned near the arch of the door, Sora and Luna watched as Peter knocked on the door, getting the captain's attention.

"Is that you, Smee? Did you finish them off?"

Both teens struggled to hold their laughter back when Peter held his nose and imitated the timid pirate's voice. "Aye, Captain. They walked the plank, every last one of them."

Almost immediately, Captain Hook forced open the door and rushed out to meet his first mate…only to find that he was nowhere to be found. While the dumbfounded captain looked around in confusion, Peter used this opportunity to poke him in the butt from behind, causing him to jump from shock and turn to find that his childish adversary had returned to give him more trouble.

"P-Peter Pa – blast you!" Hook sputtered angrily.

"Ready to make a splash, you codfish?" Peter taunted, "Now it's your turn to walk the plank."

"Oh, hell, yeah!" Medea agreed as she readied her claws. "I'm ready for a rematch!"

"You should've learned your lesson the first time we fought, Captain Hook," Luna warned as her Hands emerged at the ready.

Despite the fact that Captain Hook is a normal person, he certainly didn't make the battle any easier with his skills with a sword and the bombs he kept on his person; more so since he summoned Heartless in flying battleships to try and turn the tides in his favor. Granted, Luna and Medea knew how this scurvy seadog worked since they had fought him before the last time they were in Neverland, but this was a first for Sora since he's never encountered him before like the girls did.

"Did ya have to deal with these guys before?" Goofy asked while smacking one Heartless away.

"Hell, no. But we did have to deal with that wimpy captain before," Medea answered, "and it was too much fun seeing him run from the croc."

But that didn't necessarily mean the battle was extremely difficult, though. While Donald, Goofy and Medea turned their attention to the flying Heartless and fought to keep them at bay, Sora and Luna worked together with Peter Pan to take the fight to the captain directly. Using her Shadow Hands, she was able to keep the bombs from hurting Sora while he charged in with his Keyblade and laid the smack down against the pirate captain.

"Pesky brats! You don't know when to quit!" Hook fussed in anger.

"What, did you think we were going to?" Sora retorted as he whacked the captain upside the head.

"Medea and I beat you before," Luna added, frightening the captain with her Hands closing in. "I can do it again, I'm sure."

"Man, I wish I saw that personally," Peter agreed, "I bet it was funny."

Finally, when there was an open opportunity, Luna used her Shadow Hand to grab Captain Hook and – just like she did years ago – threw him off the ship out into the far reaches of the ocean, where the crocodile was waiting for him. True to what happened last time, he immediately began running away with horror the instant he saw the crocodile ready to eat him up; and quite surprisingly, Smee showed up in a rowboat, rowing desperately to attempt to save his boss from becoming dinner.

* * *

After that scuffle aboard the ship, things finally calmed down with the threat of the Heartless no longer lingering around the ship. Though, after all that's happened, there was an uncertainty as to how things will go now that they've seen Kairi and what they've learned at this point.

"Uh, Kairi couldn't wake up, so maybe she's really lost her –" Goofy was about to say something.

"Shh!" Donald shushed him, not wanting to rub things the wrong way.

"I still can't believe it," Sora spoke after a moment of contemplation. "I really flew! Wait 'til I tell Kairi. I wonder if she'll believe me. Probably not…"

"How would you know?" Medea questioned, "We haven't saved her yet. Hell, if she won't believe you, she'll believe Luna, I'm sure."

"Well, that is true. I mean, I have been here before," Luna agreed.

"You can bring her to Neverland sometime," Peter suggested, "Then she can try it herself."

Sora smiled. "If you believe, you can do anything, right? We'll find Kairi. I know we will."

Luna knew exactly what he meant by that. Even after all that's happened so far, he knows that he wants what's best for his loved ones and his friends. It gave her more reason to help find her loved ones, too.

"There's so much I want to tell her – about flying, the pirates, and everything else that's happened," Sora continued. He turned to Luna. "And besides, I'm sure you'd want something to say to her about your old friends, right?"

She nodded and gave a small smile at him; it would certainly be refreshing to be able to talk to Kairi again and let her know of people she used to know back when she was a child. Perhaps that would help her foster sister know where she's been that she hadn't been able to talk about previously due to her mental issues in the past.

But then, Tinkerbell showed up and flittered anxiously, apparently with something bothering her.

But Peter had an idea what was up. "What's that, Tink? What about the clock tower? You say there's something there?"

Sora and Luna quickly looked at each other when they heard that. Does that mean…?

"Sora…? Could it be…?" Luna started to wonder.

"Yeah, I think that's what you think it is," he finished her sentence. Sora then turned to Peter Pan. "Hey, Peter, you think we could take a look into what's up with clock tower?"

"No problem. Since Hook's not going to use this for a while, we'll borrow this vessel," Peter replied jovially.

With Tinkerbell's help – mostly due to the pixie dust (if you've seen the movie, you'd know where this is going) – the ship sailed across the skies to the night-covered city of London, where Wendy was waiting for them at the Big Ben clock tower. From a distance, it seemed as though the clock tower was quite fine…that is, until it was noticed that on one side of the tower, the clock was not in the same position as the other three set hands.

Immediately, Sora got to work by flying over to the clock tower and using his weapon to force the minute hand up to where it should be until a small glow revealed a keyhole peeking out between numbers two and three. Right away, he used his Keyblade to lock the keyhole, resulting in the prevention of the advancement of the Heartless against Neverland.

Just to be sure, Luna used her powers to check for remnants, and was pleased when she found none. "That's a relief. This world will be safe, that's for sure."

Tinkerbell flittered over to her and made little gestures that would come close to 'Where've you been all this time?' like she hadn't seen an old friend in years.

She smiled at the pixie at the thought of it. "I'm sorry about that, Tink. A lot of things happened over the years." When the fairy showed a puzzled face that meant 'like what?', Luna shook her head sadly. "It's too hard to explain…and it's too painful."

But then, Luna remembered something, moving her to search her satchel and pull out the star block she plucked from Halloween Town. "Oh, yes, I nearly forgot. I remembered that promise I made to you. I made a deal, didn't I? I found something star-like to replace the shard, and I think you'll like it."

Tinkerbell flit over to inspect the block and, when seeing how pretty and shiny it was, danced joyfully in approval at the new treasure she was given. It made Luna smile just seeing somebody happy about something, which was something she sorely missed back in the brighter days of her past; if only she had a chance to have some peace with her loved ones a little longer, perhaps she would feel a lot better…

* * *

While this was going on, Peter and Wendy were just having a moment to chat on the clock tower before having to part ways. Whatever it was they've been through before Captain Hook caused a lot of trouble for them, it was pretty clear that there was friendly intentions regarding the perpetually childish boy and his business with an innocent girl from an ordinary world of her own.

"Peter, are you really going back to Neverland?" she asked sadly.

"Afraid so," Peter replied, "But we can see each other any time. As long as you don't forget about Neverland, that is."

Now, it would've remained pretty sweet if Donald hadn't started chuckling, causing Tink to flitter off and fly around Peter in jealous anger (all the while making Medea give the duck a dangerous glare for his idiocy). Then, she flew right away to hover alongside Sora and Luna for company.

"Alright, duck. What did you do to peeve her off earlier?" Medea interrogated irritably.

"Oh, boy. She's getting steamed again," Peter sighed. "Do me a favor. Look after her for me, will ya?"

Sora turned to Peter Pan, dumbfounded at the request. "What?"

"Don't worry, Peter. We'll be good with her," Luna assured him as she let the pixie sit in her hands. "We'll need as much help as we can get from here."

Neither of the two teens would ever suspect how much help they'll need, especially since they now know where the witch maintains her base of operations. But the thing is, what will it now take to save their friends, and what will they be facing from there on in?


	16. Chapter 15: Return and Recuperation

**Hello! Heeere's Lilith! And I am BACK!**

 **I am so sorry for not updating for so goddamn long. A lot of stuff has been going on: holidays, bad weather, etc. But I have finally brought forth another chapter!**

 **As you can tell, I'm inching closer to Hollow Bastion (dear God, that freaking world in the first game). Now, I'm sure those of you who've played the Kingdom Hearts games know that after this is Chain of Memories.**

 **With CoM being only a matter of time, I would like to ask you guys for some help: Can someone among my reviewers (or a newcomer who just discovered my work recently, doesn't matter to me) provide me a timeline for Chain of Memories? I am aware that Sora and Riku move through Castle Oblivion at different paces, and I am aware that what goes on with them is different. However, I would like some advice or suggestions as to how to tackle that part of the story. Do you guys want to split the story into two separate fics, or do you want me to combine them and pinpoint where and in what chapters to flip-flop between them? Any ideas you have would be very appreciated. :)**

 **By the way, guess what new guest party members are coming for the ride? ;)**

 **Without further ado, enjoy!**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave me a review, but no flames.**

* * *

Chapter 15: Return and Recuperation

With Neverland's troubles resolved and a clue as to where Riku and Maleficent had gone off to, the only thing that had to be done was return to Traverse Town and to inform their friends on the location of the witch's hiding place. After all, they did mention that they had a home world to call their own, so wouldn't it make sense to let them know what they'd just learned after journeying throughout the worlds?

Thankfully, with the Heartless no longer harassing or endangering Traverse Town, it was possible to land back in that world without having to keep their guard up constantly (which would've made any other person a paranoid wreck). It was noticeable that there were more people bravely stepping outside of their safe zones with the knowledge that they won't be attacked anymore, and that more shops and businesses were starting to open up more to the general public. Truth be told, it was actually quite refreshing after all the hellish ordeals they've gone through thus far.

"I'm not gonna lie, it's actually refreshing that we don't need to worry about those buggers after locking up this world's keyhole," Medea confessed.

"Yeah, I guess so," Sora agreed.

"I wonder what everyone would think if we told them what we learned," Luna wondered.

"But how are we gonna get to Hollow Bastion?" Donald couldn't help questioning. "We don't have the necessary gummi blocks to make a journey there, much less a long one."

That was actually a very good question, which certainly needs a good answer. But on the bright side, someone had an obvious answer for them.

"And you claim to be adventurers, you silly misfits? Do you not have any common sense, or at least little bits? Why, you had that mechanic Cid modify your craft to take you to every new location, so clearly one more would look like a pleasant vacation."

The first to welcome the party back, so to speak, was none other than Shantotto.

"Oh, Professor, is everything alright with Leon and the others?" Sora asked.

"Oh, don't play coy. I'm certain that something happened while you were out and about, my boy," Shantotto answered as though she suspected something's up. "One way or another, one of us will know the truth behind that self-established puzzle. Besides, you can't keep all of your pain leashed under your little muzzle." She paused. "But I suppose interrogation will have to wait another day. Now, then, come along with me to see Cid so we can uncover what you've found to continue paving the way."

As Shantotto lead them to Cid's shop, this gave Sora a bit of time to think over everything that had happened ever since arriving in Traverse Town with Luna.

Despite not understanding the other refugees as much as Luna did in the past – whatever it might have been, but she has yet to regain her still missing memories – at least Sora came to accept that they, too, want to help weaken the invasion of the Heartless. He only wished he had more opportunities to know more about them, maybe learn what they've been involved with.

However, he was still bothered by what happened back in Neverland, particularly the negative change with Riku. What he wanted to know was what he was thinking, siding with the witch to save their friend. For that matter, why did he try to take Luna from him, when he made a promise to support her until they found both of their friends? He had seen his friend try to convince her to join him in his twisted endeavors, even so much as attempting to kidnap her when she's at her most vulnerable moments. That just felt wrong on so many accounts, since he knows that Luna would never want to cooperate with the wrong crowd under any circumstances, much less get roped in against her will.

Worse still, he knows that they haven't even found the king that Donald and Goofy know of so well; even Luna had some knowledge as to who this monarch is, to some extent. Honestly, he would like to know what reason their king went missing (besides a mention that he had no knowledge of Luna's whereabouts), and whether or not his new friends really wanted to help him and his recovered friend find what they were looking for as well…

"Hey, you're back, huh? Anything new I need to know?" Cid's boisterous voice startled him back to reality.

Unbeknownst to them, Cid had changed his location and established his own shop in town, specifically to work with gummi blocks and their ship as one of the top engineers. Actually, Sora knew about that since he was with Donald and Goofy the last time they were in Traverse Town (and that was when they were preparing to leave), but apparently Luna and Medea were not aware of it since they were looking around the area with perplexed looks on their faces.

"When did you move?" Luna asked.

Cid looked at her, dumbfounded. "Whaa? Don't tell me your buddies didn't keep ya in the loop about my business!"

"Oops," Goofy admitted, knowing what he meant.

"Uh…yeah, about that…Cid set up his own shop and helped us make repairs on the gummi ship before we left for the next world," Sora explained sheepishly.

Shantotto gave a very irritated glare. "Men these days…they just don't keep their brains out of the grinder. Wouldn't you have the common courtesy to give the ladies at least one little reminder?"

"Oh, maybe because they were too focused on saving the world they can't stop to give an update on even the most trivial of things," Medea said sardonically.

"We're planning to go to Hollow Bastion," Donald interrupted them.

That was when both Cid and Shantotto suddenly displayed shocked faces; with the latter, this was not something that happened too often.

"Wait, what? You saying you're going there?" Cid interrogated in disbelief. "Who told you about it?"

"A certain pirate captain mentioned it at the last world we were in," Sora replied. "I'm sure that…I mean, Luna and I are sure that Riku is there. We have to find him if we are to find Kairi. For all we know, the king might be there, too."

"Young man, you have completely lost your marbles," the professor objected harshly, "Come now, tell me that all you are speaking is nothing but garbles. Heartless reside there in countless numerations, and there is no negotiating with the accursed sorceress who will never follow along with any possible alterations. To go to Hollow Bastion so hastily would be naught but a fool's death wish, which will ultimately make you a better delicacy for the Heartless than a freshly cooked fish."

"She does have a point there. If we go now, we'll be in trouble," Luna agreed, regardless of her disappointment.

Sora didn't want to openly admit it, but Luna had a very good point; if they left for Hollow Bastion immediately, they would not only be unprepared for the Heartless lurking there, but they would be also be at a disadvantage without acquiring the necessary knowledge about the place beforehand. Thinking back on it, some of their friends in Traverse Town had mentioned about Hollow Bastion when they brought up Maleficent, and a few of Luna's prior acquaintances gave off the impression that they know the place more than the rest of them. Maybe they've seen the destructive nature of the Heartless firsthand.

It certainly begs the question as to what the witch is truly capable of. He's only seen her once back in Agrabah, and it was only a very brief moment, but something about her felt rather intimidating that first time. Though, he remembered that anytime she is mentioned, it stirred up a lot of anger out of Luna and Medea. Perhaps they knew her some years ago? That means Luna would've been a child way back when if that was the case.

"Say, do we have enough gummi blocks to make that trip?" Goofy asked, "Or at the very least, a particular gummi block that could help us ride there?"

"I've got something," Donald announced, shuffling through his pockets to pull a couple gummi blocks of peculiar configurations.

Cid took the gummi blocks Donald had on him and examined them like rocks to a scientist, most likely trying to figure out what these blocks are meant to be used for.

"Where'd you get those?" Sora asked.

"They were dropped while we were fighting the Heartless on the pirate ship," the duck answered, "I've never seen those kinds of blocks."

Cid suddenly looked at them confounded. "What? You pilot a ship of your own, and you haven't taken the time to learn about how to use gummi blocks right?"

Shantotto let out a haughty laugh at that. "Apparently, that little squawking bird's bite doesn't completely match his bark. Given what you just said, I'm sure that such hard questions are going to leave quite a mark."

"But you can help us apply them to the ship, can you?" Sora asked, interrupting before Donald could make a rant at the magician.

"Yeah, I'm sure I can apply these blocks to your ship. Besides, it might need some repairs in the meantime," Cid replied, "Why don't you guys stay a while and get yourselves resupplied, trained and better prepared for your trip? I'd say you guys earned it after all the trouble you're going through."

It was hard to argue against him right there. It would be a good idea to get some rest and be prepared for their next travel, just to make certain that they'll be ready for more challenging battles to come. They know who their enemy is, and they have to keep their strengths up when they do confront her in the near future. But…the only thing bugging Sora was a rather difficult question: will he and Luna have to fight against Riku as well?

* * *

While Cid began to work on modifications for the gummi ship, the gang opted to stay at the inn for a while and rest up for the night before starting their training in the morning. After all they've gone through, Luna was undoubtedly very tired after everything that she experienced on their journey, so she went ahead and chose to just sleep it off while Medea kept watch over her. She settled down in one room while Sora took another room with Donald and Goofy.

But in contrast to the girls (who most likely suspected what's to come), Sora was rather restless about the next travel, worrying about what they might have to expect and what will happen if they don't succeed in pulling through Hollow Bastion. In all honesty, just the idea of having to face Riku and Maleficent in itself is enough to unnerve him to the point of making him feel a heavy gloom of dread hovering over his head as he feared what his friend would feel if she had to fight someone she was close to all those years ago on the islands. If Luna failed to convince Riku to stop his wrongful actions, then would his attempts to reason with him be no different than hers? If only he had a way to open his best friend's eyes…

"Sora!" Donald snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Now, just remember what Donald said to ya: no frowning, no sad faces," Goofy added.

Sora shook his head sadly. "How can you be so cheerful? There's still no sign of your king. Aren't you worried?"

"Aw, phooey," the duck brushed it off like he wasn't worried.

"The king told us to go out and find the key bearer and the Shadow Mage, and we found both of you," Goofy replied. "So, as long as we stick together, it'll all work out okay. Ya just gotta believe in yourself, that's all."

That got Sora pondering for a bit. "Just believe…"

Hearing those words actually gave him a little bit of hope that he and Luna will succeed in finding their friends. The anxiety is still there, but at the very least he has enough confidence that he will keep pressing on until he's found what he wanted most.

* * *

If Sora was feeling dread when he wasn't around Luna, Medea was actually feeling a lot of pent-up tension waiting to explode at any inopportune moment. After all that has happened thus far, she had no doubt that things are going to get more difficult from here on out. But that wasn't what bothered her entirely: as helpful as Donald and Goofy have been through their journey up to now, she hasn't been able to completely trust them with helping them. She didn't want to admit to Luna directly because she didn't want to hurt her feelings.

Now, granted, she was just fine with Goofy; at least he was very friendly with Luna and stood in like a dorky big brother for her. Heck, she actually tolerated his comical demeanor a lot of the time since his optimism seemed bottomless. However, it's Donald that she is having problems with from the very start: when they first met, she noticed him whispering something to Goofy that her master and Sora didn't catch early on, and it made her very suspicious. Not to mention, there were moments were Donald was unnecessarily stubborn and rather demanding to keep pressing on to find their king. If anything, she had reason to believe that he's so focused on finding his leader that he is losing sight of the problems of those who need help most, and that has been grinding her gears a lot.

When she heard the door opening, she turned to find that Goofy just came in, possibly to check up on Luna before hitting the hay himself on Sora's behalf.

"Oh, hi, Medea! Is Luna asleep right now?" Goofy said cheerfully.

"Yeah, she is. She must be exhausted after what happened in Neverland," Medea replied as she turned to watch Luna. But then, a niggling thought wormed into her head. "Hey, Goofy, did you and Donald really mean to help us find their island buddies?"

He turned to her, puzzled at her question. "Well, yeah, we did. After all, we've become good friends, haven't we?"

The guardian shifted her head to Goofy with a hard glare. " ** _You_** may be saying that, and I'm not questioning your honesty about it. But I have my doubts that Donald would say the same thing if I asked him the same question. Ever since we travelled to different worlds, I've been noticing that Donald seems to be only focused on finding King Mickey over trying to help Sora and Luna get back together with their friends. Remember what happened when Sora tried to invite Riku to tag along? You remember what Donald did that hurt my master's feelings? The damn duck didn't even give a good explanation as to why he made such an impulsive refusal!"

The knight could certainly understand where the Shadow Guardian was coming from; she only wanted what's best for Luna, and for quite a while she found it hard to trust them completely. It is a sure sign that her temper is starting to boil over and she could snap at any time.

That was when Goofy had a little thought cross his mind…something that he didn't get the chance to tell someone about ever since they first crossed paths.

"Say, Medea, y'know how we spoke of the king being worried about Luna when she disappeared?" Goofy inquired. Medea raised her brow, indicating she's interested in hearing what he had to say. "Ya see, before the king vanished, he told us that after something tragic happened that affected Luna's well-being, she might be all alone and probably frightened at the idea of being left that way. I dunno what happened to cause that, but I think the king might know the real cause behind her pain. And after seeing Sora do everything he can to support her during her rough times, it kinda made me want to help, too. Maybe Donald just needs more time to get used to having new friends, or maybe more time to accept that Sora and Luna are more than just the aid we need to find our king."

The guardian was legitimately surprised to hear this coming from the silliest creature she's ever encountered. Was he actually more aware of the situation than she initially thought?

"Wow…I'm actually impressed," Medea admitted, failing to keep her shock from showing. "I never thought I'd hear that from you." She paused to take in his words. "I guess I can only hope you're right. However, if Donald does one more selfish thing for his own stupid reasons, I can't promise that I'll have anything nice to say about it."

* * *

When morning arrived in Traverse Town (if you can call it that, given the atmosphere of the world for refugees), it was about time to start preparing for their travels so that all of them will be ready for the harder battles to come. Luckily for them, they had very good teachers they can turn to so they would know what to expect from the Heartless and Maleficent.

Under Merlin and Shantotto's tutelage, Sora and Luna had an opportunity to sharpen their skills and their magic arsenal so that they can change their tactics should the need arise. On Merlin's watch, they learned how to attack their enemies from different ranges as well as knowing how to sabotage the more mobile types; Shantotto, on the other hand, made sure that their magic is up to snuff so that each of them can hold a candle to anything else that applies the same strategies as they would in some scenarios. However, while the former behaved more like the bumbling but well-meaning teacher, the latter drilled them more like a military general in a boot camp on a summer afternoon (and when it came to Donald and Goofy, the same methods applied to them as well, so nobody was entirely safe). Despite this, Sora felt like he was getting better at using the keyblade while Luna gained better knowledge on how to change tactics with her Shadow Hands in every situation.

After at least a couple of days of exercising their combat skills and training for the battles to come, Cid announced to them that the modifications on the gummi ship are almost complete, so if anybody wanted to do some last-minute restocking on supplies and additional repairs, now was as good a time as ever to do so before going anywhere – but not without warning them again that Hollow Bastion will be perilous on way or another. Donald and Goofy decided to tend to the ship and arrange any repairs needed to their top engineers on board the craft, while Luna took Medea and Sora out with her to help with buying extra groceries for the kitchen so they can have food during their travels.

Once everything is in order, it was now time to leave Traverse Town for Hollow Bastion; the moment of truth has arrived, and they're getting closer to the confrontation against the Heartless that originated from that very world the witch uses as her base of operations – there's no going back now.

"Well, are we ready to go?" Donald asked.

"I'd say so. The ship looks fully functional, our food supply is a lot better than last time," Sora checked off everything they've done, "I'd say that we're good to go."

"You're off to Hollow Bastion?"

Everyone turned around to find Larsa arrived to see them off, but this time he was not alone: he brought along two peculiar individuals with him, which sparked a little familiarity on Luna's account. She knew she saw the two before…

"I don't mean to interrupt your departure, but I have two sentient dolls who want to accompany you," Larsa explained to them as the dolls nodded in unanimous agreement. "They apparently are looking for two people important to them, particularly their rightful owners."

"Two dolls?" Goofy repeated, "I've never seen them before."

"We have, and I'm gonna say that it was a creepy sight," Medea commented.

That got Sora curious. "Really? We're heading someplace very dangerous. I'm not sure it's a good idea to take them with us."

"Who are their owners, Larsa?" Luna asked out of curiosity. "Did they tell you what they look like?"

The female doll twirled beautifully and gave a curtsey while the male doll made an attempt to act scary despite still looking childish.

"As far as I could understand from them, their owners are opposites of one another," Larsa answered, "One is a young woman, very beautiful and intelligent. They call her their princess, if you would. The other…well, they were rather vague regarding the description. The most I got was that their other owner was…animalistic in character."

Sora and Luna looked at each other in confusion when they heard what Larsa described. What manner of owners would be so different, and yet still share the same precious...sentient dolls able to act of their volition? And for that matter, could their owners be the reason they wanted to come along for the ride at their own request?

However, it was the imploring glimmers in the dolls' otherwise soulless, glassy eyes that showed the two are very desperate to come along with them.

"Well, if we're gonna decide what to do with them; can we get their names first?" Goofy requested.

"Of course. The boy version is called Calca, and the girl is called Brina," Larsa introduced them.

"If they're that anxious to come along, I only hope they can defend themselves against the Heartless," Sora admitted.

"Hold on! We can't just take them!" Donald interrupted in protest.

Medea angrily glared at the duck. "This again?! You recall what happened the last time you rejected a guest?"

"No! It's too dangerous! They can't come with us," Donald insisted.

But Sora was having none of that. "You heard what Medea said. The last time you made a harsh rejection, Medea tried to kill you! C'mon, if those two, erm, people need our help finding their owners, the least we could do is try and assist them in their search."

Goofy's contemplating 'Hmm…' interrupted them as they wondered what was on his mind in the midst of the petty argument.

"Y'know, we've been making a lot more of the decisions around here for a while," Goofy suddenly spoke up, "Although we shared ideas on how to deal with problems, we should work on taking turns making choices about petty matters."

"What are you thinking?" Sora asked.

"I'm thinking we should let Luna decide on whether the dolls come along," he replied.

While Donald showed a flabbergasted look on his face, Sora and Medea were actually quite eager at the new change of authority this time around. Luna, on the other hand, didn't know what to make of it at first since she didn't quite understand why Goofy made that suggestion in the first place. But then the pleading gestures on Calca and Brina convinced to think on their position in Larsa's proposition, which actually took her a little longer than normally since she was not used to making the judgment calls on certain matters. After a few minutes, though, she made her verdict.

"We'll take them with us," Luna decreed.

Donald sighed in dismay as Sora gave a silent cheer of victory, whereas Medea simply gave a triumphant smirk at her master's choice. The dolls, on the other hand, started dancing with joy now that they got their way.

"If you want, Donald, they can stay in my room," Luna offered as compensation. "I promise they won't cause any trouble."

"…Fine. You win," Donald reluctantly complied.

"Excellent. Then I pray that you find what you're looking for," Larsa said, doing his best to keep a positive look on. "Just promise us that you'll all return safely, if you please."

"Don't worry about it. We'll be back soon enough, you'll see," Sora reassured him with a grin he put on to stay strong. "Once we beat Maleficent, we'll have Riku and Kairi with us again before you know it."

Despite saying this so openly, Sora knew that it will not be a cakewalk to get their friends back, not after seeing what happened to Kairi and witnessing how cruel and twisted Riku became under Maleficent's influence. Still, he also knew that he had to do his best to be strong for Luna's sake. She'll need all the help she can get once they reach Hollow Bastion. So, should either of them to persuade Riku to see reason, then he will have no choice but to force his old friend to realize the error of his ways.


	17. Chapter 16: Hollow Bastion, part 1

**Hello, everyone! Lilith here!**

 **Here we are: Hollow Bastion. I'm making the first visit a two-parter, mostly to conserve on how damn long this would take to get through.**

 **With that out of the way - I am still reaching out to anyone who can help me provide a little timeline of Chain of Memories so that I can chart out how to approach the next part of the series. If anyone can chronicle the rundown as to the pacing between Sora and Riku's adventure through he castle, then I'd love to hear it, thanks.**

 **TheFoolishDreamer: I am glad you're happy to hear from me again. And I am very pleased that you like Shantotto being involved in my fic.**

 **GradGirl2010: Nice to hear from you after my unintentional hiatus. I approve the idea of making it a single story, but I have other plans as to who's going with whom. I hate to be a killjoy, but I'm gonna have Luna stick with Sora. But I do intend to have someone else help Riku through his hell in the basement...**

 **So, without further ado, enjoy!**

 **I own nothing of KIngdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave me a review, but don't flame me.**

* * *

Chapter 16: Hollow Bastion, part 1

Thanks to the modifications made by Cid, the gummi ship was able to navigate through the rougher portions of the roads until they finally reached a world that was not like anything they've ever seen in their life. Though, the same couldn't be said for Luna and Medea since they have a few memories of a place that was once so beautiful, but now…

It was hard enough just to find a spot of ground to land on without falling into the massive abyss stretching across the area. There were numerous rocky platforms floating over an otherwise bottomless abyss with the large waterfalls doing nothing to cover the fact that one wrong move could mean no return for the potential victims, a few bearing very few traces of tiles, broken and indiscernible as to their origin. From a distance, it was possible to make a run-down, partially crumbling castle with several towers stretching out from the center, several pipes and mechanical cranes barging out of the walls in various places; from afar, it was hard to tell whether or not there was steam protruding from the holes of the castle and the pipes, hopefully nothing too hazardous. However, the symbol of the Heartless can easily be spotted like a sore thumb, a clear sign that the creatures were undoubtedly spawning from that location the most.

Sora couldn't help looking over there with curiosity. "I know this place…"

"Hmm, that's strange," Goofy admitted.

"How so?" Medea asked, emerging from Luna's shadow to inspect the land.

"I wonder why…I feel this warmth inside, right here," Sora wondered, putting his hand to his chest.

"Aw, you're just hungry," Donald said.

"Hey, I'm serious!" Sora insisted.

"I doubt it," Medea deadpanned, "considering how we already ate before we even landed in this creepy place."

Luna couldn't help focusing on the castle straight ahead. "That castle…I think I've been there before. But…I don't remember when I've been in there. But I remember how it was once so beautiful. What happened to it…?"

A faint roaring echoed off from a distance, making everyone jump a bit from being startled at the sudden sound. It also caused their guest travelers, Calca and Brina, to continually jump anxiously and point towards the direction of the animalistic noise far up ahead.

Luna turned to them and asked, "Do you recognize that sound?"

Calca turned and nodded his head 'yes' while still pointing out ahead, and Brina proceeded to twirl excitedly like she and her partner had been longing to find what they've sought after being separated for too long.

"Then that means it must be one of their owners, like Larsa described," Sora suggested. "If that's the case, we're on the right track."

"Then we should let Calca and Brina lead the way," Luna agreed, "They seem to know the voice better than we do, and it could mean one of their owners is here, in this world."

Trekking across the stone platforms was no easy task, of course, especially since some of them were capable of moving like faulty elevators; but thanks to the dolls leading the way up there – as well as a little assistance from Brina's white magic, they were able to close in on the entrance path to the castle leagues ahead of them – only to find that Riku is there, and not far down is a great, hulking beast of unknown animalistic origins…and the situation was rather tense, from the looks of it.

"No vessel, no help from the Heartless…" Riku directed this curiosity towards the creature. "So tell me, how'd you get here?"

The Beast growled a bit before he answered, "I simply believed. Nothing more to it. When our world fell into darkness, Belle was taken from me. I vowed I would find her again, no matter what the cost. I believed I would find her. So, here I am. She must be here. I will have her back!"

After hearing this, the dolls began bouncing worriedly as Sora and Luna noticed that Riku gave a small smirk to the Beast, not caring about what the intruder had to say about it.

"Take her if you can," Riku goaded him mockingly.

Angered at that remark, the Beast roared furiously and charged towards Riku with the intent of attacking him for his insolence. However, he was able to summon a peculiar weapon that looked like a bat wing, and avoided the creature's lunge like it was not a problem to him; then, with just one swing of his sword, the Beast was struck down, forced to do naught but fall to his knees from weakness after the blow given to him.

Not liking where it was going, Sora and Luna rushed out to the front to stop him while Calca and Brina turned towards their master to hurry to his aid before things got worse.

"Stop!" Sora cried out.

"Don't kill him!" Luna pleaded, "Leave him alone!"

Riku turned toward them. "So, you finally made it. About time. I've been waiting for you two." He turned to Sora, the bitterness slipping out. "We've always been rivals, haven't we? You've always pushed me as I've always pushed you."

"Riku…" Sora was confused.

"What do you mean by that?" Luna questioned.

"But it all ends here. There can't be two Keyblade masters," Riku continued on.

"What are you talking about?" Sora demanded to know.

Riku extended his hand out. "Let the Keyblade…choose its true master."

Then, without a word of warning, the keyblade in Sora's hands suddenly jerked intensely in his hand like a magnet was pulling against it. Both teens were shocked to see this, but Luna could only watch helplessly as Sora struggled to keep hold of it until it abruptly disappeared from his hands and magically reappeared into Riku's hands. Everyone, including Donald and Goofy, and even Medea were utterly horrified to witness what had happened before their eyes.

"What the hell is this?!" the guardian demanded, confounded at the sight.

Riku looked on at the keyblade in his grasp. "Maleficent was right. You don't have what it takes to save Kairi, or to protect Luna for that matter. It's up to me. Only the Keyblade master can open the secret door…and change the world."

Luna was at a loss for words at that moment; she had trouble comprehending what she was seeing. How could Riku do something like that? Was there something about the keyblade that she missed any knowledge of years ago? If that is so, then why was this happening to her right now? Sora should be capable of using it, so why did Riku usurp it so easily?

Sora was in a similar position to her on that. "But that's impossible. How did this happen? I'm the one who fought my way here with the keyblade, with Luna's help along the way!"

Riku scoffed at him. "You were just the delivery boy. Sorry, your part's over now." He pulled out a toy sword and threw it at Sora's feet. "Here, go play hero with this."

If the mockery Sora was experiencing at his old friend-turned-enemy's hand and Luna's inability to know how to handle the problem wasn't bad enough, it only got worse when Donald started to walk away from them with his eye on the blade.

"Goofy, let's go. We have to remember the mission," he said.

Unbeknownst to everyone in the vicinity, Medea started to feel her seething anger rapidly start to boil over at the perceived betrayal…

Goofy, however, began to hesitate. "Oh! Well, I know the king told us to follow the key and all…" But he faltered when he turned toward the trembling Luna. "But…Donald…We can't leave her alone. We'd make Luna cry if we abandon her…"

Riku noticed Goofy's hesitation on leaving Luna behind – as well as Donald's shock at his friend's unwillingness to abandon a familiar face – and opted to use this to his advantage; perhaps this time, she might be convinced to come along with him. Besides, what could Sora do for her now?

"You don't need to rely on him anymore, Luna," Riku said to her as he started to approach. "You've made it this far, I'll give you that, all for Kairi's sake. Now you know Sora's holding you back, don't you? Let me take care of you from now on. We can still save Kairi, together. You're her last chance to help restore her heart." He extended a hand out to her. "C'mon, Luna. You want to help, right? We can find what you've lost, if that'll convince you enough."

Despite the temptation of going along with Riku – especially since she knows that Goofy doesn't want to lose his friendship with her – and saving Kairi, Luna found her paralyzed both physically and mentally. She wanted to save Kairi, and she wanted to help find King Mickey since he's the only one who can add in answers to the gap in her memory. But…still, something in Riku's words just didn't sit right with her. How could she possibly abandon Sora, who has been through so much with her and had done everything in his power to support her throughout their adventures? How could she leave behind someone who promised to take care of her until they found their friends?

Luna's ability to speak was choked by her inability to respond properly. "But I… How could…? I can't just…"

But before anyone could speak to her, Medea suddenly moved in front of Luna, her fists clenched painfully tight. It was pretty clear that she could no longer contain the explosive fury over the twist of fate and the backstabbing acts of the allies they've had throughout their journey up until this point. But none of them were prepared for her wrath to bombard them…

"Just who in the hell do you think you are, bossing Luna around and treating your friend like dirt under your shoes?! I don't know what sick perversions that witch was able to prick inside your thick skull, but you are NOT proving yourself to be a trustworthy person if you got involved with a monster who only aims for power!" Medea snapped loudly and harshly. "Luna worked her ass off trying to stop you from making stupid mistakes, and this is how you repay her! You try to harass her and bully her into abandoning someone who actually tried to help her through the crap thrown their way! That is not how a real friend treats those they care about, and certainly not you!" She then turned to Donald and pointed an accusing finger at him. " **AND YOU!** I always knew that you were such a selfish duck! You, who have been so obsessed over finding your damn king that you will willingly and deliberately ignore the ideas given to you, and refuse to allow Sora and Luna their one chance to save a friend before it got any worse! Do you have ANY idea what kind of crap Luna's been through that made her the girl she is now? **DO YOU?!** You wouldn't have known because you didn't give a damn about her at all! If you are so hell-bent on finding your bloody king, then go ahead! Throw yourself into a volcano to find him for all I care, because **YOU ARE NO FRIEND OF MINE**!"

Angry that another chance had been lost to him, Riku turned in a huff and walked away to the castle, not wasting any time to turn back. Shocked and upset by the outburst, Donald turned away and hurried off to follow Riku; nobody noticed that he was actually hurt by the harsh words unleashed by Medea's unrestrained rage. Goofy hesitated only for a moment when he saw Luna collapse to the ground, weeping in lamentation over the loss and betrayal of those she hoped would be able to help her and Sora, before slowly and reluctantly following behind Donald towards the castle.

But unbeknownst to them, though, not long after they've gone, Medea's outrage rapidly shifted into horror and shame for the words she had spilled out and the damage she caused with it. Unable to handle the pain weighing on her heart, she immediately retreated into her master's shadow, not wanting to humiliate herself before everyone.

Sora, too, would've been unable to move on if he hadn't noticed the Beast slowly moving forward towards the castle with Calca and Brina following behind him, frantically trying to convince him to stop pushing himself. When he did collapse, he quickly moved in to help in any way he can.

"Hey, don't move. You're hurt," Sora ordered sternly. "You're making the dolls worry."

The Beast turned to him. "Why…Why did you come here? I came…to fight for Belle. And though I am on my own, I will fight. I won't leave without her. That's why I'm here."

Calca turned to Sora, as though he were questioning whether Sora and Luna would still be willing to help them even after what had happened. Sora looked at Calca's desperate look in his eyes, then to Brina as she used her healing magic to mend the Beast's wounds to the best of her ability.

He could see how determined the dolls are on finding their beloved owners, knowing the dangers that lay ahead of them. Interestingly, their determination and the Beast's strong will to find his princess inspired him to get back up and keep pushing forward to his goals.

Now he just needed to help another get back up…

Sora turned to Luna, and gently touched her shoulder, causing her to look up at him with a confused look on her face. He could tell she wanted to know what they're going to do now that they're on their own, with only the dolls and the Beast nearby.

"Let's keep going, Luna. We've come this far," he said to her, "We're not gonna give up now. We came here to find someone important to us."

She rubbed the tears from her cheeks. "Will we be able to get Riku back? And Kairi, too?"

Sora smiled confidently. "We will, Luna. I promised we would, didn't I?"

Luna nodded as she took Sora's hand and stood up alongside him. Seeing him doing his best to keep going after the hellish event gave her enough strength to want to keep fighting her way through as well.

"But Sora, how will you be able to fight back?" she asked in concern, "I'm the only person who has a remote chance to repel the Heartless with my Shadow Hands. You're only able to use magic at this point."

"Don't worry about it. I'll just hang back while you take the fight directly," Sora reassured her. "I can heal you, at the very least."

Luna knew that he was right about that; even though he doesn't have the keyblade to aid him against the Heartless, he's not _that_ completely defenseless. After all, he might as well make use of what Shantotto and Merlin was able to teach him back in Traverse Town. And with the Beast and the dolls by their side, the three can make up for what they lack at this point.

* * *

"So, Calca and Brina survived as well?"

When the Beast asked that question, Luna couldn't help turning to him in confusion. Though, she did have the feeling that, after they had arrived at Hollow Bastion, he must've been surprised to find the dolls alive and well (if one could call it that). Perhaps he thought he was the only one who escaped the destruction of his world besides this Belle he mentioned?

"It would be apparently so, considering how they searched Traverse Town for you," Luna replied, "They did say they have two owners they were separated from. One was a lovely lady, and the other was…well…a friend of mine had trouble describing what you were like."

The Beast let out a bitter chuckle. "I should've known. I thought they were lost, too."

The journey to infiltrate the castle was no easy task in it of itself; besides the more ruthless Heartless that sometimes wouldn't let up, the insides of the castle were no cakewalk to navigate either. But thankfully, Sora was smart enough to know to stay in the back and used his magic with great efficiency against some of them with Calca providing the extra firepower with his array of spells at his call and Brina used her healing and defensive magic to ensure the party's survival; the Beast and Luna, on the other hand, made up the brawn of the team since Luna has the physical offense with her Shadow Hands and the Beast was a powerhouse with his claws and his brute strength when it came to the tougher Heartless that came their way.

But there was something else only Sora noticed that even Luna was not aware of…

"Hey, Luna. Now that I think about it, I haven't seen Medea," Sora noticed when he looked around the area. "Where is she?"

Luna looked to her shadow. "Medea…? Are you okay?"

Medea peeked her head out slightly. "Huh…? Uh…yeah, I… Um, actually…I need some time to…think, if you don't mind."

She was rather perplexed to hear her guardian hesitate in talking, but she accepted her choice. "If you need a moment, Medea, you can wait. We'll be alright for a little while."

"Yeah…sure," she replied weakly before she vanished.

It was rather strange for Luna to hear her guardian faltering in her speech, more so because she didn't see her after the heated confrontation with Riku and the events that followed. Did she miss something? Maybe something was bothering her, and she wasn't paying enough attention to notice this?

.

.

.

.

.

.

After a lot of trouble navigating through the waterways and breaching through the gates, the party reached a huge hallway with two staircases leading to a single door looming topside and a couple doors to either side; a chandelier shimmered above them in the midst of the dismal, gloomy room surrounding them.

As they stepped inside, Luna and Sora couldn't shake off the feeling that something was very off about the location. They couldn't put their finger to it, but the vibe was there, warning them of danger somewhere within the room.

"Be on your guard," the Beast warned, "They're close, I can feel it. Are you ready for them?"

Both of them nodded tensely in agreement as the dolls cautiously crouched beside them, ready for anything. But for a moment, though, they could've sworn that they heard something coming their direction, forcing them to turn around to see who is there…

"Belle!"

At the Beast's word, they spotted a woman in a yellow dress standing there, causing the dolls to react in surprise at the sight. But then things quickly turned south when the woman fizzled into a dark aura and changed into that of a Heartless. Enraged at the deceit, the Beast bellowed in fury and lunged forward towards the fiend that dared to impersonate the only person he wanted to find most. Calca and Brina frantically tried to stop him and chase after him, but to no avail when the doors automatically slammed shut right in front of them, unable to give pursuit.

"No…! After how far they've come…" Luna gasped in horror.

"Quit while you can."

Sora and Luna turned around to find Riku in the hall with them, Donald and Goofy nearby him, helpless to the encounter.

"No. Not without Kairi," Sora refused.

"The darkness will destroy you," Riku insisted bitterly.

Sora shook his head. "You're wrong, Riku. The darkness may destroy my body, but it can't touch my heart. My heart will stay with my friends. It'll never die!"

"Indeed, that is true. It only shows how much you don't know," Luna agreed, "I've seen what happens when others fell victim to its corruption, and the consequences that followed. You're about to fall into the same trap!"

He didn't seem convinced in the slightest. "Really…Well, we'll just see about that!"

With no warning in advance, Riku fired off a shadowy ball of fire right at Sora and Luna, about to strike them. Sora moved to try and keep Luna out of harm's way, but then – quite unexpectedly – the sound of metal clashing against fire caught their ears, and found that Goofy used his shield to protect them from the blast.

"Sora and Luna ain't gonna go nowhere!" he protested.

"You'd betray your king?" Riku questioned.

"Not on your life! But I'm not gonna betray Sora and Luna either, 'cause they've become two of my best buddies after all we've been through together," Goofy insisted. "See ya later, Donald. Could ya tell the king I'm really sorry?"

Donald, shocked at being left behind, wouldn't have that. "Hold on, Goofy! We'll tell him together." In an instant, he ran over to their side. "Well, you know…all for one and one for all."

"Guess you're stuck with us, you two," Goofy agreed with a chuckle.

Sora almost felt like crying happiness there. "Thanks a lot…Donald, Goofy."

"I almost feared that…I'd be alone again," Luna agreed, trying not to cry.

"How will you fight without a weapon?" Riku interrogated, killing the mood.

Sora shook his head. "I know now I don't need the keyblade. I've got a better weapon: my heart."

Luna could hear him scoff in disbelief. "Your heart? What good will that weak little thing do for you?"

"Although my heart may be weak, it's not alone. It's grown with each new experience," Sora replied earnestly, "and it's found a home with all the friends I made. I've become a part of their heart just as they've become a part of mine. And if they think of me now and then and if they don't forget about me…then our hearts will be as one." He moved into a battle stance. "I don't need a weapon. My friends are my power!"

At that moment, a miracle happened: when Riku least expected it, the keyblade magically disappeared from his hand, and it reformed back into Sora's hands. That was proof on whose heart is much stronger form that point on. From behind them, the dolls cheered in excitement over the turning tides; even Luna knew that this meant Sora has grown so much throughout their adventures.

Knowing that a fight is about to commence, she readied her Shadow Hands and stood alongside Sora, now more determined than ever to stop her friend's downfall more than ever; but not without making one last attempt to avert another mistake…

"Riku! This is your last chance!" Luna warned, "Stop fighting against us, or learn the consequences of ignoring us the hard way…"

"After all you've been through, and everything I told you?" Riku was not amused about it. "You still insist on warning me? I thought you'd know better, Luna, but I guess you still have a lot to learn."

Sora turned to the dolls standing behind them. "Calca, Brina, you'd better stay back. We'll handle Riku on our own. He might hurt you if you guys intervene."

Calca and Brina nodded in agreement, and hurried away to hide behind one of the columns for safety.

Needless to say, fighting Riku was no walk in the park for them, even though they've got Donald and Goofy back on the team with them. Neither Sora nor Luna had any clue how much combat he got into after being separated from them for so long, but it's clear to them that he is not pulling any punches on them; no, he is not holding back this time around.

"When did Riku get so strong like that?" Donald asked in frustration.

Sora shook his head. "I don't know. He's normally not this rough. But we've gotta do something before he does anything worse!"

Even Luna noticed how much tougher he's gotten because she sometimes struggled to keep him from getting too close to strike, especially when Sora's not close by to back her up. It made her wonder if he's gotten more savvy to how her Shadow Hands operate than she first thought, or if Maleficent gave him pointers as to how her power works from previous experience.

"Stop it, Riku! You don't know what you're doing!" Luna demanded, trying to push his attack away from her.

"What would you know?" Riku retorted. "You've never even tried to do anything drastic when backed into a corner. What gives you the right to judge me?"

Just when it looked like Luna was about to be left open for punishment, Sora tackled his old friend and forced him to regroup before switching targets.

"Knock it off! We never even knew what happened to her all those years ago, so why are you judging her?" Sora called him out.

With Sora diverting Riku's attention on him, Luna felt she was left with no other option but to exact her punishment on him for not listening to her in the first place. She didn't want to be cruel to him, but after everything she's seen, she felt she had no choice. With a wave of her hands, a swirling vortex formed below her feet and a swarm of Shadow Hands emerged around her, ready to move at any given moment.

"You made me do this…" Luna hissed, anger and regret oozing from her voice. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you don't stop!"

At the flick of her wrist, the Shadow Hands swiftly thrusted towards Riku's position, snatching him off his feet with no warning. He did put more effort into escaping their grasp, but Luna's continuous flicking of her hands caused more of them to come together and merge into one giant hand; and then, with one powerful swing, the giant hand threw him against the wall, knocking him hard enough to leave a dent deep enough to leave cracks where he had crashed back-first.

However, despite their victory over Riku, their teamed efforts were not able to knock any senses back into him. Instead of spitting more retorts or taking a cheap shot, though, he instead ran away from them, frustrated at his defeat, and disappeared to parts unknown. Luna turned to Sora, uncertain as to why he would not relent after everything that happened; but the most he could do right now was give her an uncertain shrug.

Not long after Riku left, the Beast returned to the hall – probably having just recently noticed what transpired upon his return.

"So, your heart won this battle," he said.

Calca and Brina, seeing that the fight is over, ran over to their master in relief. It was actually amusing to see the two dolls both fussing over their owner happily as well as scolding him for recklessly running off on them at the worst opportunity; but really, it was just their way of showing concern.

"There's still Riku we have to worry about. Not to mention, Maleficent is in this castle," Sora said, "We have to keep going if we want to stop her."

"You're right about that. Though…" Luna agreed, but worried about what's to come. "It makes me afraid. We're losing him, and I don't want to think of…"

"Don't worry, Luna. We're not going to let that happen on our account," Sora promised her, "If we have to, we'll just beat some sense into him again until he finally understands."

That simmered her fears down slightly. "If you say so…"

"Then let's go! We gotta stop Maleficent!" Donald announced.

"Uh, hold up a second, Donald. I don't see Medea with us," Goofy interrupted. "Don't you think we oughta let her know we're sticking with Sora and Luna from now on?"

That was when it hit Donald like a brick; he remembered how he instigated leaving Sora and Luna because of Riku possessing the keyblade and how he wanted to keep his focus on the mission. Just recalling Medea's harsh words made his stomach sink when he realized how much damage he had done before her outburst. He thought it would be best to try and talk to her, and attempt to reconcile with an apology for his mistakes. If she could, at the very least, pretend to listen to him, then he wouldn't mind it if her anger would cool down if that feeling is still lingering on her.

Shyly, Donald approached Luna's shadow and asked, "Medea?"

Slowly, Medea's head peeped out enough to show her eyes, half-glowering and half-willing to listen.

The duck sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, Medea. You were right. I was being such a selfish duck. I was so focused on finding the king and following the 'key' that he talked about in his message, I nearly completely forgot about what was going on around me here and now. Even after I was told about what happened to Luna and how she came to be with Sora, I still didn't fully understand how much she needed support after losing two of her closest friends, and I squandered it!" He paused. "If you're still angry with me after all I did, I'm not gonna force you to tell me. I just want you to know that I made a big mistake, and I regretted it after you – rather harshly, I tell you – yelled at me about it. Can you ever forgive me?"

No response came out at first. But then, Medea came out of her shadow halfway, a feeling of being moved and shocked crossing her face after hearing such an emotional confession. Apparently, she didn't expect Donald of all things to have the courage to come forward and actually ask her to accept his apology after admitting what he did wrong.

"You serious about that?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"Yeah, I mean it!" Donald insisted. "I shouldn't have done that."

It was a lot for the Shadow Guardian to take in, but she was actually impressed. "Well, at least you were honest. You caught me off-guard with it." She paused a moment. "That said, maybe I'd better come clean myself: I was a hell of an idiot myself. Right from the very moment our paths crossed, I was not too trusting of you or Goofy when you explained your reasons for joining us in the first place. I got used to being around Goofy, especially since he put more heart into helping Sora and Luna, and he understood what dilemma they were in. But you – I had a lot of problems with you, to the point where I just wanted to kill you sometimes. No joke. But when you decided to just follow Riku merely because he stole to damn keyblade form Sora, who had it in his possession from the very start of our journey, and adding in the fact that you were willing to backstab my master when she needed help most, I was so furious that I practically went off like a bomb! I just let my anger cloud my conscience and I lashed out in the worst way possible!" She stopped to collect herself. "I'll be frank, and confess that I regretted what I said after you guys left…"

"So…you forgive me?" the duck asked hopefully.

Medea gave him a smirk. "Let's see, now that our idiocy is mutual, I'm willing to take that apology. Besides, you confessed, I confessed, I'd say we're both square." But then she gave him a stern look. "But you gotta promise that you will never backstab us for any stupid reason ever again, got it?!"

Donald gave a salute. "You bet I won't!"

With the fracture in their friendship repaired and their disagreements resolved, they were finally ready to fight their way through the corridors of the castle so that they can confront Maleficent and stop her plans for good.

However, there was one thing that kept bothering Luna as they started to make their way in: even though the feeling was faint, she couldn't shake off the embers of a sinister aura lurking somewhere within the walls of Hollow Bastion. She was having trouble locating Riku's aura while another was flickering from afar, making her fear the worst for him. Is it possible that he already…

"What's wrong, Luna?" Medea asked her.

"Medea…something's wrong. I can't clearly trace Riku within the castle," Luna replied with unease. "Can you scout ahead, and please find him? I need to know what happened to him."

Her guardian could tell that her master was growing worried, dreading what she feared from the beginning. She knew there are still matters with Riku that needed to be resolved, and after all the hell he put Luna through, Medea knew that she loathed losing him like she already did with her brother and her surrogate family in the past.

"Sure thing, Luna. If I find anything, I'll let ya know," she agreed cautiously.

Splitting herself from the rest of the party, Medea flew off ahead of them through a hole in the castle wall while everyone else worked to make their ascent up the towers and track down Maleficent.

* * *

From a high vantage point, Medea scoured the entire vicinity of the castle, trying to pinpoint Riku's location so as to ascertain where he might've wandered off to. She always knew that he was becoming quite a problem ever since getting involved with the witch and listening to her lies; but the unsettling aura she was sensing was nowhere near as bone-chilling as the witch, no. There was something…different about it, not to mention vaguely familiar about it…

She shook her thoughts off for a moment, deciding that she should try and find Maleficent; if she found the witch, chances are Riku is not too far behind her. Focusing her keen eyes, she was able to trace the sorceress's presence and followed it from behind the shadows until she found herself inside a chamber she had never seen in her life. From different angles, she spotted six young ladies kept behind some form of crystalline prison, seemingly asleep. Quietly and discreetly blending fully into the dark shadows of the chamber, she slowly slithered her way along the walls until she spotted an enormous Heartless emblem towering over a control panel and a small platform leading downstairs to where the women were being held prisoner. Maleficent was there, no question about it, and Riku was there, too, along with Kairi's lifeless body. But, true to Luna's fears, there was something…off about him.

"So, I see the path has emerged at last," Riku noted, his voice eerily distorted.

"Yes. The Keyhole to the darkness," Maleficent replied with wicked glee.

"Unlock it and the Heartless will overrun this world."

 _'_ _No way in hell!'_ Medea thought angrily.

The witch scoffed at him. "What do I care? The darkness holds no power over me. Rather, I will use its power to rule all worlds."

Riku smirked. "Such confidence."

Medea got a surprise when she watched as a flash of dark energy formed into a keyblade that she had never seen before. It was a black and red color, and its structure looked rather intimidating to look at. But what she wanted to know was what that thing is used for, and for that matter, where it came from.

But then she noticed that Maleficent's mood changed from proud to frustrated when she discovered that her plans have not been completed, and only the witch herself had suspicion as to why…

"Impossible! The Princesses of Heart are all here!" she cursed, "It must be her."

Medea looked over to where the witch was directing her gaze, towards the still form of Kairi. That was when Medea remembered how she and Luna had learned that her heart was immensely pure, like the other princesses they had met all those years ago. This made her dread the notion that Maleficent has figured it out.

Riku shook his head in displeasure. "Without her heart, she will never be able to release her power."

 _'_ _What the hell does that mean?'_ Medea wondered, _'Why would Kairi be needed for something as atrocious as this?'_

But then, the faint sound of footsteps could be heard from a distance, a warning to the enemy that Sora and the others were coming closer. It was only a matter of time before they found the place where the princesses are held…unless if Maleficent had any say about that.

"The king's fools are here," the witch cursed as she turned to leave. "I will deal with them myself. Stay here, and guard the princesses."

Medea watched carefully as the witch took her leave to confront her opponents directly. That meant they will be facing her soon enough, and Sora's gonna need all the help he can get, especially from Luna because she knows the witch a bit more than he does. If that's the case, she'd better hurry up and rendezvous with everyone else and warn them ahead of time.

But just as she was starting to make her leave as quickly as possible, she suddenly noticed an uncanny blue aura glow around Riku just as he caught on that he wasn't alone in the room as he thought he was.

"I know you were listening, Guardian. Why don't you come out?" he taunted her, "Or are you planning on spilling the intel on your comrades? Either way, you'll be punished for snooping soon enough."

Not wanting to stick around and get herself killed just yet, Medea quickly retreated from the chamber and took off out of there to find her allies before they met up with Maleficent. She had to warn them about what's wrong with Riku, or else there'll be hell to pay if Luna encounters him ahead of time. Though, she can't shake off the feeling that they'll be seeing him one way or another, and that the conflicts are about to get a lot uglier once the cat's out of the bag.

"I gotta let them know we're in trouble," she huffed impatiently, "I gotta warn them about Kairi and Riku, or else our whole efforts to save the worlds is gonna get screwed over!"


	18. Chapter 17: Hollow Bastion, part 2

**Happy Valentine's Day!**

 **Lilith here, and what an irony this is. I post another chapter on this day, and what happens is not a lovely thing in the slightest. Ain't I a stinker?**

 **Anyway, shit's really hit the fan here, and I'm sure you know that we're almost wrapping up with Tainted Hearts. For those of you who gave suggestions on how best to approach Chain of Memories, thank you for your inputs. I'll do my best to make it enjoyable when I reach that stage.**

 **Until then, enjoy!**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read along, leave me a review, but no flames.**

* * *

Chapter 17: Hollow Bastion, part 2

The moment of truth has finally arrived for them; no sooner did they enter an eerie dark room lit by sickly green flames, they found themselves face-to-face with the witch Maleficent. Now that he finally got to meet her without any more interference, Sora was fired up for a fight, wanting the witch to pay for corrupting his friend into giving them trouble because of her lies. On Luna's part, her fury over the wrongs she had done to her brother in the past rekindled, and it only escalated because of what she learned from her long-lost friends in Traverse Town and what she did to turn Riku against them.

"I'm afraid you're too late. Any moment now, the final Keyhole will be unsealed," Maleficent gloated proudly. "This world will be plunged into darkness. It is unstoppable."

Sora readied his keyblade. "We'll stop it! After coming this far, there's no way we're gonna let that happen."

"Where I stand…I'll make you wish you never lived to learn what you've learned," Luna added darkly, murder in her voice.

"You poor, simple fools," the witch growled, "Thinking you can defeat me? Me, the Mistress of all Evil?"

Right when the party began to make their charge towards the witch, she made it difficult for them when she raised her platform to higher ground and summoned Heartless to preoccupy them for a time. Thank goodness they had the Beast and Goofy to handle the brute force of the Defenders; however, they still needed a way to force Maleficent back on the ground.

"Calca, find a way to ground her!" Sora commanded.

With a jive of his arms, Calca used a Gravity spell and began forcing Maleficent's platform to lower back to their level. All the while, Brina and Donald made sure that the party was able to survive the Heartless onslaught as well as the potent spells the witch unleashed in an attempt to trip them up. However, Luna's Shadow Hands were able to block off the fireballs from reaching their spellcasting partners while they continued to do their share of the work.

"I'll admit, I was a bit surprised to find you're still around, child," Maleficent commented toward Luna, trying to size her up. "The last time we met, you were just an ignorant, naïve little girl who understood nothing. Where you've been all those years is beyond me, but I can see that you are still as ignorant as usual about what you're missing."

But Luna was having none of that. "Spare me of your arrogance, you monster. You think yourself powerful with the darkness on your side, but you are the one who understands nothing! I have seen what those cohorts have become from tampering with what they don't know about, and I am certain that you will be no different! The only future I see with you…is demise so horrible that not even your dark power will be able to save you!"

In her hatred of the witch who helped cause the misfortune she suffered years prior, Luna's Shadow Hands launched at her in full force with brutality and magic might, forcing the dark sorceress to fortify her defenses against the unanticipated assault.

However, for Sora, he found an opening on her as he hurried around the room and launched an attack at Maleficent from behind; interestingly, it worked to an extent. He was able to land several hits in the back, but then the witch changed her position and teleported herself as far from them as possible. Obviously she became desperate to survive, and wanted to regroup herself long enough to rain hell on her opponents – which would've worked if Calca and Brina hadn't given her even more trouble with their Time spells to hinder her ability to respond properly. Not wanting to waste any time, Sora moved on ahead of the party and would land the decisive blow against Maleficent, reducing her to a badly beaten down and exhausted combatant.

Realizing that the tides have turned against her, Maleficent formed a dark portal behind her and limped her way out of the chamber in an attempt to escape and recuperate from her brutal punishment.

"She's escaping!" Donald warned.

"C'mon! We gotta go after her!" Sora agreed, leading the charge.

As they followed her through the portal, Luna suddenly felt a negative vibe jolting through her; something worse was about to happen…but what?

* * *

The portal that formed led them to a ruined tower somewhere within the castle, but not only did they find Maleficent, still injured from the fight – but they also were alarmed to find that Riku was there, too. Sora could tell that there was something was not right about his friend, and Luna was quick to realize that Medea had not arrived to rendezvous with them just yet. Did something hold her up?

But then, all of their eyes were fixated on the keyblade clutched in his hands.

"That weapon…what is that?" Luna asked.

"Is that –" Donald started to question.

"Yes. A Keyblade," Riku answered as though he knew what was coming. "But unlike Sora's, this Keyblade has the power to unlock people's hearts. Allow me to demonstrate –" He turned to Maleficent, and abruptly stabbed the blade right into her chest. "Behold!"

Without no warning, the witch was pierced right where her heart would be, causing a flickering dark energy to emerge from her body and proceed to spread through her with sinister shades of blue, purple and red energy coursing around her.

If Sora was horrified at the sight of the atrocity occurring before his eyes, Luna was feeling a lot worse than that. She couldn't shrug the idea that she had seen something like this happen before, but…When did it happen, where, and who was involved in all of that?

But all the same, everyone was helpless as the horrors only escalated from there.

"Now, open your heart, surrender it to the darkness!" Riku said, anticipating the results, "Become darkness itself!"

In an instant, he pulled out the keyblade and disappeared into the shadows, leaving the rest of the crew at the mercy of Maleficent. But when a sickly green aura surrounded her, a dangerously powerful force began to change her from the inside out.

"This is…True power!" Maleficent cackled, drunk with the power flowing through her, "This is true darkness!"

Bursts of green flame surrounded Maleficent as her body changed from that of a devilish woman, growing in size until the only thing that stood in her place is a giant, fire-breathing black dragon with the colors the witch once bore so proudly. But the size wasn't intimidating enough, the soulless eyes and the fumes of green flame flaring from her nostrils were more reason to worry that defeating this monster will not be a pleasant stroll in the park.

"This is insane! How could she let it corrupt her like that?" Sora wanted to know.

"Never mind that!" Donald interrupted him, "We gotta stop her rampage!"

The Beast let out a roar as he made his charge towards the dragon, only for the monster to unleash a breath of fire against the party in retaliation and stomping the ground, causing shockwaves to stumble their footsteps. Calca and Brina put in their best efforts to protect their master and their compatriots from the intense heat of the flames, but had to watch their step as the dragon was powerful enough to withstand the brunt of Sora and the Beast's attacks with little issue and is tough enough to send someone knocking against the wall, which happened to Goofy on occasion.

Donald got the worst part of it because he was forced to stick with using Blizzard spells to even get a remote chance of landing any damage to her, but even then was often smacked around like a ragdoll. Luna, on the other hand, was also reduced to using ice and healing magic to keep herself steady through the otherwise brutal assault; truth be told, she had never fought against the witch like this, nor had she ever witnessed her turning into a dragon. If anything, fighting the dragon made the Unversed creatures look like harmless critters by comparison, and that's not even mentioning without Medea to help her through those fights.

Speaking of which…

"Dammit, you guys! I keep my eyes off you for even one minute, and something goes crazy, doesn't it?"

At the right opportunity, the dragon lurched from a sudden slashing strike from behind when Medea landed right in the middle of the fray, completely unharmed, if only really ticked off that something new had to hinder their progress.

"What kept you, Medea?" Donald demanded to know.

"We can worry about the details after we've turned that transmogrified witch into a reptilian carcass," Medea replied hastily.

With the Shadow Guardian back in the party, her quick slices with her claws made any chances of attacking the dragon a little easier to handle. Any openings she left for them allowed Sora, Goofy, and the Beast to go straight for the kill while Luna hung back with Calca and Brina as they provided the bombardment of spells to keep the fiend at bay long enough for the main offensive team to land the finishing touch on the monster for good.

After a long and exhausting battle against the corrupted witch's draconic form, all that was left of her was tattered rags that once resembled anything like Maleficent before her untimely transformation and demise.

But there was no chance to rest when Riku appeared again, unfazed by the fact that the witch had perished by their hands.

"How ironic. She was just another puppet after all," he mused as he stepped on her cloak.

"What?" Donald was baffled.

"Then that means…" Luna started to figure it out.

"The Heartless were using Maleficent from the beginning," he answered for her, "She failed to notice the darkness in her heart eating away at her. A fitting end for such a fool."

Medea scoffed. "I guessed as much…That witch had one hell of a superiority complex."

However, Riku disappeared yet again before anyone could stop him, leaving them alone to swallow the bitter pill of knowledge they now acquired.

Sora shook his head in disbelief. "Riku's not making any sense…If Maleficent is not the real mastermind, then who is doing all of this?"

Luna shook her head sadly. "I wish I could tell you, Sora. But…I still don't have all of my memory intact."

"Did you find out what happened to Riku, Medea?" Goofy asked the guardian.

"I did find out something, alright. I tracked him down earlier, but what I found… Well, you guys aren't gonna like it, but something was just totally bonkers about him," Medea replied bitterly. "I heard him talking wacky crap about the keyhole to the darkness and about the princesses – and I'm not fooling around here, I saw the kidnapped ladies – in which there's suspicion that the ritual ain't complete. And that's the half of it: Riku…He sure as hell didn't' feel like that kid at all. There was something else ticking. The blue aura I saw spoke volumes."

Horror struck Luna's face when she heard all this. "Then Riku…has he really been…"

"I think it's best if…you two saw for yourselves," Medea answered quickly.

Sora nodded, reluctantly agreeing. "Okay. Lead the way, Medea. We have to see for ourselves."

.

.

.

.

What Medea had mentioned earlier was justified from the moment they opened the door to the chamber the guardian discovered during her recon. It gave Sora and Luna a lot of chills when they saw the six maidens kept imprisoned behind some kind of crystalline prison, seemingly asleep.

But Sora noticed right away that Luna stopped to look at two of the princesses kept prisoner by the witch's doing, guessing that she must've known a few of them from before her arrival on the islands. The sad look on her face only reinforced the feeling of unfortunate nostalgia.

However, he also noticed that the Beast stopped at one prison, where a young woman with brown hair was being held, and was gazing at her longingly. Calca and Brina were the same as well, trying to find a way to set their princess free from her cage and let her know that they came to help her. It hurt him to see them like this, considering what he knew from their interactions that they felt lost and alone without their beloved owners.

"So…that's your princess, am I right?" he asked sadly.

Brina turned to Sora, and nodded slowly 'yes' before she turned back to try and help Calca break her out to no avail.

"Boy, do I feel sorry for them. Those two tried so hard to find their owners," Medea admitted, "and look what they find."

Seeing the pain on Luna as well as the Beast only drove Sora to prepare himself for a battle in which they had to save the worlds form more wanton destruction. Luna could see this, too, but on her part, she dreaded what might happen once they step up towards the keyhole.

But just as the rest of the party went on ahead for their confrontation, something already went completely awry. Not long after they reached the top of the stairs, an unforeseen barrier suddenly blocked Goofy from proceeding any further, knocking him back down a few notches; this, in turn, caused Donald to turn back to find out what happened.

However, Sora and Luna stopped to find…

"Kairi!" Sora exclaimed as he rushed over to her.

Luna hurried after him, hoping that her sister wasn't completely lost to them. But closer inspection let her know that Kairi was still only an empty shell, her heart still missing. How could that be?

"Kairi! Kairi! Open your eyes!" Sora pleaded, "Luna's here, too!"

"It's no use." Sora and Luna looked up to find Riku atop of the keyhole's archway. "That girl has lost her heart. She cannot wake up."

"What…?" That was when Sora realized what Medea had meant earlier. "You…You're not Riku."

"The Keyhole cannot be completed, so long as the last Princess of Heart still sleeps," 'Riku' continued as he jumped off and landed on the ground with ease.

Sora turned towards Kairi in confusion, and back. "The princess…? Kairi's a princess?"

"Princess…" Luna puzzled a moment, trying to think back where she heard that. That was when she remembered what she knew from her surrogate grandfather and what she noticed in her interaction with Kairi in the past… "No…So that's why it's as pure as the others."

"Yes, and without her power, the Keyhole will remain incomplete. It is time she awakened."

Medea was really angry at this point. "Oh, hell, no! You're not gonna screw another person up right now!"

"Whoever you are, let Riku go! Give him back his heart!" Sora demanded angrily.

'Riku' didn't seem like he gave a damn. "But first, you must give the princess back her heart."

Suddenly, Sora jolted in a shock of pain, causing him to fall to his knees as he clutched his chest; this worried Luna and Donald as they turned to help him while Medea gave a death glare towards 'Riku' while he simply looked on at the turn of events.

"What's –" Sora had trouble spilling the words.

"Don't you see yet? The princess's heart is responding," 'Riku' pointed out as he walked down the steps. "It has been there all along. Kairi's heart rests within you!"

"Kairi…Kairi's inside me?" Sora gasped.

That was when Luna remembered what had happened back on the islands before it was destroyed by the darkness overrunning the world: when she and Sora found Kairi by the strange door, their friend was thrown towards Sora by the force, and then she suddenly vanished without a trace. How could her heart have survived the devastation unless it… It finally hit her: the protection of Kairi, so to speak, was possible because of Aqua's magic! How else did Kairi's body not disappear despite it not holding her heart in the first place? How else could they have possibly been able to find Kairi, if she was guiding them to where she was being kept? How did she not realize this after so long!

"Sora…Kairi was protected by you all this time!" Luna figured it out.

"Then how come she didn't just let us know somehow?" Medea grilled for knowledge. "This is getting out of hand here!"

'Riku' smirked. "I know all that there is to know."

"Tell me. Who are you?" Sora demanded.

Nobody was prepared for the answer. "It is I, Ansem, the seeker of darkness."

Ansem?

Everyone in the area was shocked enough about the twist of fate; but Luna and Medea had the worst of it. In fact, the idea that a vile being had taken control over the body of someone important to her was horrifying for Luna because it reminded her badly of the corruption of her older brother ten years ago, making her falter from pure terror at having to confront yet another lost loved one. Medea, though, was thoroughly peeved off because despite her misgivings about Riku, she never really wanted him to suffer the same fate as Luna's brother, Terra, already did years prior.

When 'Ansem', as he so called himself, started to make his way to Sora, Donald charged at him in an attempt to protect him. But he was knocked away from the platform like it was no trouble for him, leaving only Sora, Luna, and Medea to worry about their lives on their own.

'Ansem' readied the keyblade towards Sora. "So, I shall release you now, Princess. Complete the keyhole with your power. Open the door, and lead me into everlasting darkness!"

Everything felt like it was moving so quickly yet also so slowly as 'Ansem' raised his keyblade like an executioner, ready to destroy Sora and get his way. Luna tried to move in so she could save Sora, but just when it seemed to spell doom, he actually regained his footing and blocked the attack with all his might like a guardian protecting what's most important.

"Forget it! There's no way you're taking Kairi's heart!" Sora refused, standing his ground in defiance.

Reluctantly, Luna summoned her Shadow Hands into a circular formation while Medea readied her Black Claws for a brawl and Sora readied his keyblade for battle.

If Riku as he normally used to be was not a cakewalk, then the fight against 'Ansem' as he is using Riku's body became a nightmare to put up with. Not only was his striking power much stronger than before, but he also had plenty of dangerous tricks up his sleeves. Sora and Medea had to stay on their toes if they were to even so much as land a hit on him, especially since he wasn't shy about unleashing bursts of dark energy at their feet to trip them up.

"Really, now? Are you even trying to fight me?" 'Ansem' taunted.

"Of course I am! You're the one threatening to hurt my friends!" Sora retorted as he parried the strikes coming to him.

However, on Luna' part, she found that she was having some serious trouble keeping up with the assault like her friend and her guardian were. Was it because she didn't want to fight against Riku in the first place? She knows that somebody else is using his body, and she is aware that whoever is doing this bore an eerily familiar presence that she should remember about back a child, but…But then why was she starting to falter at the worst timing? She can't hesitate when someone's life is in danger…

'Ansem' obviously noticed this, and mocked her on it. "What's wrong, Luna? Are you not too eager to fight back? Or is it because you can't bring yourself to even scratch your own friend?"

"Stop it! Just stop it!" Luna cried, shaking in her boots. "Just…give him back! Just give my Riku back! Give him back!"

Just when it couldn't get any worse than it already has, Medea made to jump at him and pound him into the ground for harassing her master; but 'Ansem' saw her coming, and – to the horror of everyone watching this – used the keyblade to stab Medea right in the chest, like he did to Maleficent.

Sora and Luna were struck in horror at this. "Medea!"

"How absurd. You call yourself a guardian, and yet you're at my mercy," 'Ansem' remarked mockingly. "If you're that desperate to kill me, then you can disappear along with that fool of a witch!"

With a powerful swing, he tossed Medea far out of the arena, leaving Sora and Luna at his mercy – or not at all. Without the Shadow Guardian's brutality, the fight only got harder as it seemed like 'Ansem' really wanted to finish them off. Despite Sora's efforts to stop him and Luna's attempts to keep him away, they suffered a lot of punishment by his blade, leaving them with little room to maintain a form of defense.

It almost felt like they were done for after Sora took a serious beating, leaving Luna with nobody left to save her when she needed help most, more so as 'Ansem' opted to pursue her first while Sora is down for the count.

"You naïve child, always relying on others to handle the dirty work while you stayed back," he said to her as he closed in, "Have those nine years of hiding reduced you to such cowardice? And I thought a Shadow Mage was supposed to be a powerful force. Or…was it because you didn't want the scars on your mind to reopen after taking your time to 'recover' from recalling those skeletons in your closet of memories?" He readied his keyblade to strike her down. "Oh, well, perhaps you might be of use to me if I changed your tune a little bit."

"Hell, no, you're not!"

All of a sudden, 'Ansem' was knocked away from Luna and slammed into one of the control panels hard enough to break it. To her surprise, Luna realized that Medea came back into the fray – not only alive, but incorruptible, much to the shock of their enemy.

"Medea…! You're alive!" Luna cried, gasping in joy.

"What? Were you afraid you'd lose me?" Medea asked, "I don't go down that easy."

'Ansem' didn't take it too well, though. "How…! How are you not swallowed by the darkness? How can you still be here, after I pierced your heart?!"

"You obviously haven't learned a thing about me or Luna, have you? Then I'll make it simple for you: she's a Shadow Mage and I'm her Guardian," Medea answered, cracking her knuckles and reforming her claws. "We don't follow the same rules as any of your playthings. Our darkness is our shield, not our poison! In layman's terms, you can't corrupt us, no matter how hard you try!"

'Ansem', very displeased that his attempts to corrupt Medea failed, charged towards her to permanently kill her off, but then he was bashed into the ground by a fully recovered Sora as he stepped in to help the girls.

"Sora…! Are you okay?" Luna asked.

He gave her a confident grin. "I'm fine now. At least Donald was able to heal me just enough to let me handle the rest while Medea kept him distracted."

Thanks to Medea's return to the field and Sora's secret recovery, now they had the opportunity to finish him off once and for all; after all, they had to put an end to the reign of terror the Heartless caused, and there's no spare time to waste. In fact, their fight actually became much easier this time around as they beat him until he disappeared from the room…but there was no knowing what happened to Riku from that point on. There were still other problems to deal with…

"Sora! Luna! Guys, look!" Donald called out.

"The…The keyhole!" Goofy finished as he pointed toward the keyhole.

From afar, it looked like the keyhole of the bastion was about to burst to overflowing with dark energy. Sora, desperate to put a stop to it, hurried over and raised his keyblade to the altar to lock it…but nothing happened.

"Sora…it's not responding," Luna noticed.

"What the hell?" Medea questioned. "What kind of keyhole is this? Is it really not finished, like that jackass mentioned?"

"What're we gonna do?" Sora asked, not sure what to do now.

"Maybe we gotta go wake Kairi up," Goofy suggested.

Everyone turned to Kairi, her body still motionless. Did that mean what they think it meant…?

"I think you're right. If we can wake Kairi…" Sora thought about it, but then he sighed in frustration. "But…But how?"

But then, his attention shifted towards the sinister blade still resting on the ground after its owner had vanished. He recalled what he had seen happened when it was used, so… An idea started to form in his head, a particularly crazy one that he knew Luna would not approve of.

"A Keyblade that unlocks people's hearts," he pondered to himself, "I wonder…"

Medea didn't like where this was going. "Kiddo, whatever the hell you're thinking, you'd better not do that…"

"Sora, what are you…" Luna was about to ask.

Unfortunately, against their dire warnings, Sora let his instincts dictate him, and he decided to do the unthinkable: use the keyblade to unlock his heart, and restore Kairi's heart back to where it belongs. Donald and Goofy tried to dissuade him from doing it, but were instead given a cheeky grin from Sora before he turned the point of the blade to his chest, and impaled himself with it. The dark keyblade used to perform the horrible task broke apart as six brightly glowing lights flew away and returned to their rightful owners – with Kairi's pure heart returning to her body, restoring her to life. But at what cost…?

"Sora! Sora!" Donald squawked frantically as he tried to run for Sora's collapsing body.

"NO! No, you can't do this!" Luna screamed hysterically as she stumbled behind.

Kairi, waking up in time to see Sora's body disappearing before her eyes and Luna trying to stop him, immediately got up on her feet to try and catch up, fearing that she might not get the chance to talk to him again.

…But it was too late. By the time she reached him, his body had already completely disappeared into specks of light scattering into oblivion. Sora, who had gone through so much danger, was no longer with them.

"Dammit, you stupid kid! Why the hell did you have to do that?!" Medea shouted furiously.

"Sora! Sora! Come back, Sora!" Donald implored in futility.

Luna was pretty much in tears as she realized that Sora was lost to them, and she could do nothing to stop him from recklessly giving up his life to restore the life of another.

Kairi felt it, too, but there was something else as well. "Sora, are you really –" But she wouldn't lose her faith. "No. He can't be! I won't let him go!"

Before anyone could ask her what she meant, the remaining group was greeted by someone different – but certainly with the best intentions, as Luna and Medea could easily sense the moment he appeared from the shadows.

"Luna…are you seeing this?" Medea asked, hardened for a fight.

Luna trembled with horror, déjà vu crossing her mind. "Medea…that man…"

If there is anything Luna can recognize from first glance, it's the uncannily familiar dark skin and the gold-yellow eyes like that of a demon, along with the silver hair reminding her of someone she once feared and loathed in her past. But not only was he fitted into the attire resembling that of the man who damaged her life – gray coat, white gloves and all of that – very closely, but she could spot the symbol of the Heartless kept close to his chest. That could only mean he is the true puppet master controlling the black creatures and using them to wreak havoc across the worlds with no conscience on him to hold him back.

"So, you have awakened at last, Princess. The Keyhole is now complete," Ansem spoke triumphantly. "You have served your purpose. But now it's over."

As he began to step towards Kairi, intending to dispose of her, Donald and Goofy got in front to defend her while Luna and Medea inched closer to her to prepare to take her at any moment.

"Don't make another move!" Donald warned.

"You wouldn't dare… You took Riku from me, and you tricked Sora into unlocking his heart," Luna hissed lowly, "You will not take my sister from me, not again!"

Goofy was not too certain about it. "Do you think we can stop him all by ourselves?"

"If you guys won't, then I will!" Medea growled.

However, they didn't have to. Just when Ansem was coming closer, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, unable to make any movements; but what could've stopped him from killing them so easily? The answer became clear when a faint apparition of Riku appeared, struggling to block the parasitic villain from meeting his objective.

"No. You won't use me for this!" Riku protested.

Luna gasped in shock at the sight. Does it mean that he hasn't been completely lost yet? Is there still hope for him?

Kairi was surprised to see him struggling. "Riku!"

"You've got to run. The Heartless are coming!" Riku warned them.

True to his words, the Heartless began to appear in more numbers than ever, threatening to destroy them if they didn't get moving. This was their only chance to escape before they got caught into the mess the unlocked keyhole has unleashed.

"C'mon, we gotta get away from here!" Medea ordered as she started running.

"But Riku…" Luna tried to protest.

Kairi grabbed her hand, stopping her. "Luna, we have to go! He can't stop that man forever."

"But what about the Keyhole?" Goofy asked as he began to run.

"Never mind that! Let's just get outta here!" Donald insisted.

Not given any other choice, the party made a mad dash out of the chamber so as to not get caught in the growing swarm, their escape leading them all the way down to the entrance hall where they had previously encountered Riku before everything went into a downward spiral of hell. But just as they had arrived there, one Heartless appeared before them, but there was something rather…strange about it.

Donald, thinking it a nuisance, tried to bash its head in. "Confounded Heartless! Get lost, will ya?"

But Kairi quickly noticed something different about it. "Sora? Is that you?"

"Do you mean…?" Luna was about to ask what she was talking about.

But then, swarms of Heartless surrounded them, threatening to attack them. Donald, Goofy, and Medea rushed out in different directions to fend the creatures off while Luna and Kairi moved closer to the quirky Heartless to defend it.

"This time, I'll protect you," Kairi promised.

"We both will," Luna added, "As friends…and family would do."

The creatures came closer to them and began to make a pounce on the three of them, forcing Kairi and Luna to join together and keep their transformed friend safe. But on Luna's part, she tried to block their assault with her Shadow Hands to the best of her ability.

At that moment, a miracle happened: in a flash of light, the Heartless were knocked away from them, and in between both girls stood Sora, returned to his normal self and no longer as a Heartless. Kairi felt his embrace as he held both her and Luna gratefully close to him; maybe he was glad to know that someone helped him through whatever ordeal he had to deal with.

"Kairi, thank you," he said, glad to be back, "You and Luna both."

Now, it would've been nice to be able to spill the beans from him on what he had gone through…But that wasn't feasible when more Heartless showed up and started to surround them. It almost spelled trouble for them when a mighty roar echoed in the hall, and three saving graces – the Beast, Calca and Brina – arrived and forced the Heartless away from the others with their strength and magic.

"Go! Now!" the Beast ordered them.

"Come with us!" Sora insisted, not wanting to leave them behind.

But he wouldn't relent. "I told you before; I'm not leaving without Belle. Now, go! The Heartless are coming!"

Luna wanted to protest herself, but Calca put his hands out and shook his head 'no' while Brina made a gesture of shooing them out; their way of telling them that they should leave right now while they have the chance.

"Are you sure, you two?" Luna asked them.

Calca and Brina nodded together, still anxiously gesturing them to get out.

"Alright…Let's get out of here," Sora accepted that there's no dissuading them.

Left with no other alternatives, Sora, Luna and the others fled the castle, leaving the Beast and the two dolls behind to try and fight off the Heartless swarming out of the ruined castle. All they could do now is head back to Traverse Town and let their friends back there know what had transpired…but there is the chance that the news they'll give to them will not be a positive one, not after what they've encountered.


	19. Chapter 18: A Promise To Keep

**Just a little breather before we inch closer to the big battles to come. We're gonna need it at this point.**

 **Considering all the crap that's happened, I'd thought it'd be nice if Kairi recovered a little of her memory (at least on Luna's account); and just to add a little sugar before the salt and spice come in, I also thought it'd be fair if there's one last brief moment we get on the Pinocchio spectrum, since it'll be quite a long while before we see them again.**

 **Of course, after things get cleaned up in Hollow Bastion, I intend to have a little side preparation at the good old coliseum. And *spoiler warnings for those who know about Scattered hearts and are aware of what FF characters I expanded on* I'm gonna throw something unexpected at Luna's direction. Let's see who can figure out what I'm talking about.**

 **So, without further ado, enjoy!**

 **Oh, and if you're new and you just discovered my fics, let me know what you think thus far. Leaving reviews in Broken and Scattered Hearts are optional. I'll notice them, no worries.**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave me a review, but no flames.**

* * *

Chapter 18: A Promise to Keep

Returning to Traverse Town was a bittersweet moment for Sora and Luna. On the one hand, they were able to get Kairi back after searching for her across the worlds – almost at the expense of Sora's life. But on the other hand, they weren't able to get Riku back, and they don't know what's happened to him now. To make things more difficult, the keyhole of Hollow Bastion is unlocked, and the Heartless are now becoming an even bigger threat than they already were at the beginning.

For Sora, it was very troubling that he put so much effort to find their friends, only to not be able to prevent Riku's downfall. He almost felt like he had failed Luna, so to speak, and that man – Ansem, if he recalled that name right – is responsible for that painful failure. But he knew that because of their failure the first time, he would have to double his efforts to bring Riku back to them; he already came this far, with the help of his friends, and he doesn't want to give up on Riku now – and certainly not on the worlds.

But Luna was affected the hardest from the ordeals she had to experience; not only did she have to go through the turmoil of not having Kairi – who was a sister to her – beside her to support her, but she had to deal with Riku being used against them until Ansem stole his body from him and continued to seek the dark power he so desired. She didn't want to lose another loved one after how much she lost ten years ago, so it broke her heart when she came very close to losing Riku just as she lost the connection with her older brother. Although there was a spot of hope for him to be rescued from his nightmare, she didn't have the slightest idea as to how they'll be able to find him after everything that happened. For that matter, what can she do, as a Shadow Mage, to stop Ansem from fulfilling his pursuit of the dark power he sought for himself?

"I'm sorry, Luna. We came so close, and look what's happened," Sora apologized.

Luna shook her head. "No, Sora. I should've tried harder. I tried to warn him, but Riku…"

"Don't you start, Luna. We just gotta tell the others, and maybe they'll know how we can fix the problem," Medea interrupted sternly. "The only thing we gotta worry about is how we'll get back to that damned castle."

* * *

Not long after they landed in town, Sora and Luna were greeted by Shantotto, Seymour, and Zidane; but it was easy to tell that all three had the niggling feeling that something went horribly wrong on their first trip.

"You were gone for quite a while, little pups," Shantotto noted, "so tell us what's up."

"I see you found your friend, Kairi," Zidane added, looking around a bit when he noticed someone's missing. "But where's your other friend? You didn't find him again?"

Sora hung his head sadly. "It's…it's a long story."

Seymour quickly caught on what he meant. "I see…There's been a hindrance to your original plans. We have to inform Leon about the situation as soon as possible."

"Hmph! The Heartless were already annoying enough," Shantotto sighed with chagrin in her voice, "We really didn't need so much more to push us into a trough. Unless I am wrong, it wasn't the witch's heinous craft, but something else entirely that is delivering the fiends to us with a very harsh draft."

"That is the case, unfortunately," Luna admitted. "And that's only the half of it."

Not wasting any more time to discuss about the details, Sora, Luna, and the others were immediately brought back to the hideout where the rest of the refugees were waiting for their return. But for some of them, it was not hard to determine that a wrench in the works have plagued their progress to stop the flow of the Heartless, and only Sora and Luna have an explanation as to what went wrong at Hollow Bastion.

"I fear something fell into disarray, didn't it?" Larsa asked.

Leon looked up. "Tell us what happened."

Sora, with a little help from details Luna remembered, filled everybody in as to what happened from the moment they arrived at Hollow Bastion – their confrontations with Riku not long after arriving, the pursuit of Maleficent and their battle against her, the unforeseen corruption of said witch and what resulted from it, the strange keyblade that they saw firsthand, and the horrors they've gone through upon discovering that Kairi is actually one of the seven Princesses of Heart needed to unlock the keyhole in the castle orchestrated by somebody else from behind the scenes. It was very hard to explain all of it in one go, but after all the hellish events that transpired, it was only fair to warn everyone that the situation has gotten a lot more complicated than they initially thought.

"…And as we speak, the Heartless have begun to overrun the place. We were barely able to get out of there because of the extra help we got upon arrival," Sora finished up the story. "But Riku…we don't know what happened to him. And with that Ansem guy thrown into the mix, things just got even worse from there."

Everyone fell silent for a moment, taking in the terrifying dilemma like a bitter pill without water to help them, before Leon decided to talk.

"So the darkness is flowing out of the keyhole…"

"No wonder there are more and more Heartless everywhere," Aerith confessed, "The only way to stop them is –"

"Seal the keyhole, right?" Sora filled in.

"Maybe. But no one knows what will happen once it's been sealed," Leon replied vaguely.

Zidane gave out a sigh. "Always have to sound cryptic, don't you?"

"Well, I sure as hell don't want more problems to pile on us than it already did," Medea admitted in annoyance.

"She's right. We can't just stay here," Sora agreed impatiently, "We can't just stay here. We've got a friend back there."

"That's right. You have one more friend to worry about," Leon agreed on that. "Riku's keyblade must've been born of the captive Princesses' hearts – just like that keyblade you both saw." He looked toward Kairi. "Of course, without Kairi's heart, it remained incomplete."

"Maybe…Kairi's heart being kept elsewhere slowed down the progression," Luna wondered aloud.

"That might've been possible. And once that keyblade was destroyed, the princesses' hearts should've been freed," Seymour finished, agreeing to the theory.

"Don't worry, you two. If anyone can save your friend, both of you can," Leon assured them.

Sora certainly felt more motivated than ever to save Riku, but Luna knew that there was still one problem: how are they going to be able to return to Hollow Bastion, what the Heartless overflowing from there and – quite possibly – clogging up the roads to the other worlds? They don't have the necessary resources to make a second trip back to the barren castle, much less the strength to continue the fight.

"How can we go back? The main roads are most likely blocked off," Luna asked nervously.

That got Larsa's attention. "Perhaps Cid might have something that can resolve the problem. If anyone has the means to make a second trip, it has to be him."

But Gabranth was not so sure about it. "How would he know a way back? The Heartless have poured out of Hollow Bastion too much. There's no alternative route back to the castle."

"Wow, when did you become such a skeptic?" Medea questioned sarcastically. "Unless whatever crap you went through turned you into such a depressing cynic. Seriously, even Larsa's trying his damned best to clean up the mess made around here!"

"Not now, Medea. We'd better go find Cid and talk with him about the ship," Donald interrupted her.

"Yup. We'd better get ready before we go anywhere," Goofy agreed.

"Then, should we get going?" Luna asked.

But Sora had something else in mind. "Actually…I think you get some rest, Luna. You've had it pretty rough throughout our trip in Hollow Bastion. Besides, you're gonna need your strength when we go back there to finish the job."

Although it was rather odd for her to hear that coming from Sora, who is eager to just keep going with their adventure most of the time, at least she understood where he was coming from. Most likely, either Kairi or one of their friends told him about what happened after he had sacrificed himself to restore Kairi's heart, and it got him worried about her well-being after all the crap she had to go through – especially considering how Medea had a close call and she was left on her own with Donald and Goofy for a little while.

"…Well, alright then. If you say so," Luna agreed.

"You might as well take his word for it, after all the crap you've through," Zidane interjected. "It'll probably be a while before you guys can go back there, so try and take a load-off before you go anywhere."

"We'll talk with Cid while you girls head to the inn," Donald suggested. "Once we're done, we'll come back when we've got news for ya."

"Do what you want. It's not like we're gonna run off on you," Medea agreed, "and there's no way Luna would've known how to pilot a ship by herself. I sure as hell wouldn't have known about it either – not that I have the brain of a mechanic, anyways."

That was true. Although they don't want to stick around for too long, they might as well be extra prepared for their next trip back to Hollow Bastion – especially so that they can be ready for the rampant Heartless now let loose on the worlds what with the keyhole unlocked. This would be their only chance to recuperate before jumping right back into the belly of the beast, because once they leave for Hollow Bastion again, there's no knowing what's going to happen afterwards.

* * *

"…Did you seriously travel all over the place, with Sora alone, just to find me and Riku?"

After Sora and the boys dropped off Luna and Kairi at the inn for a moment while they were off to speak with Cid, Kairi immediately asked Luna to tell her about what they went through after they've been separated, most likely curious as to what kind of mess the both of them got themselves into without them. Whether it was simply curiosity or because she felt like she was missing out on a lot of the misadventures (in a manner of speaking) is debatable, but she obliged to her sister's wishes and told her all that she could about what they experienced throughout their journey.

She told Kairi about how she met the main protectors helping the refugees in Traverse Town – not leaving out a single detail of some of the residents that she regained memories of after meeting them, and of how they met Donald and Goofy and joined forces to find their friends and help them find what they're looking for. She told about their attempts to foil a kangaroo court and their training at a coliseum run by an obnoxious satyr; she told about their efforts to protect gorillas from being wrongly poached, their adventures across the desert to foil the conquest of an evil sorcerer who aimed for the throne, and their hijinks inside the belly of a whale; she told about their adventures under the sea, their quest to save a holiday from ruination at the hands of a boogeyman full of bugs – not leaving out Medea's badass moment of demolishing a possessed house, and of their fight to escape a pirate ship leading to their journey to Hollow Bastion to help two sentient dolls find their owners and reunite them.

As she regaled Kairi with these adventures and perils she went through, Luna sometimes would tell her about what went on between her and Riku (under Kairi's insistence because she worried what happened between them); but it was a rather sensitive topic, to say the least. However, since this is a family matter, she complied with relaying what went on between them. But the instant she brought up those occasions where he tried to convince her to join him in helping the witch with her plans, Kairi was horrified to know that their relationship soured over opposing ideas on saving her; but at the same time, she couldn't help feeling heavy-hearted over the pain Luna had to deal with on her own.

However, after all the nightmarish ordeals, it surprisingly felt relieving for Luna to spill everything to her surrogate sister; at least that was something worthwhile to have after all the trouble she pulled herself through to this point.

"Yes, Kairi, we really went through all this just to rescue you guys," Luna replied to her sister. "But, like I've told you, every enemy made sure it wouldn't be easy."

"Though, to be fair, we probably would've been through a lot worse if we didn't have a little help time to time," Medea admitted.

"That's true. But what we've been through…" Luna agreed. But her mind wandered back to her encounters with Riku. "I just couldn't understand why Riku was so hostile… But after what happened back there, I was so sure I lost him, just like I lost…" She faltered, not wanting to rethink on that horrible memory.

Abruptly, she felt herself being pulled close to Kairi, held into a strong, comforting embrace that she sorely missed for a while.

"It's okay, Luna. You don't have to talk about what happened in your past," Kairi assured her softly. "Remember what we agreed on? If you don't want to talk about certain things, then don't. I'm sure it's been hard enough not being able to help Riku, but there's still a chance. I'm sure about it."

Though it was a bitter pill to swallow, it felt a bit comforting that Kairi is trying her best to ease Luna's fears and reassure her that things will get better, just like back when she was going through her first years of recovery. After all, she wouldn't have been able to make this journey with Sora if she had remained mentally broken, much less be able to confront the Heartless for as long as she has up till now.

"Maybe you're right…Maybe there's still a chance for Riku," Luna confessed, "I know he would never let that monster who stole his body eliminate us. Maybe we can find a way to help him, like how you and Sora and Riku have helped me when I was still so badly broken." It made her smile a little. "And you know, we did pretty much become family when we met on the islands, brought together by different circumstances."

"Yeah, we sure did," Kairi agreed with a giggle. But then, she paused a moment with a strange feeling of déjà vu – until a sudden thought crossed her mind. "Wait…I think…No, I know I said something like that before!"

Medea raised a brow at her. "What do you mean? Are you recalling something?"

It took a moment for Kairi to answer that. "Oh…! I think I remember a little something…" Did that mean what Luna thought it meant? "It's still fuzzy, but I remember when I first met Luna, and how shy she was. And I remember that I saw her a second time, but she was sick, just as she was when we met at the hospital back on the islands."

Luna was stunned to hear this. "You mean…your lost memories are coming back?"

"Not a lot, most of it is still a blank or too blurry," Kairi replied, "But I guess being around you again brought a small tidbit back to me. It sounds weird, but…it makes me happy that I can remember you again."

As surprising as this was, it was a pleasant little reprieve to talk about something different, however trivial it might be. After all the crap she's been through, she really needed somebody to talk to just to distract herself a little bit. So, both girls conversed a few minutes longer, mostly of trivial things to console one another, while Medea kept watch for the boys' return. But when they haven't been found yet, the three agreed to stick together and find out what was taking them so long.

"I wonder if that old man had the boys go on some errand," Medea commented.

"Is it that hard to ask for a repair?" Kairi had to ask.

"Not to my knowledge," Luna admitted. "Unless Cid had something going on that required them to run around town for a secret treasure…or something like that."

* * *

Well, on the boys' side of the spectrum, they arrived at Cid's shop to get his help on finding a way back to Hollow Bastion without further delays. But just convincing him to help was no small feat in itself, most likely because he learned from the others about the overflowing Heartless and the dangers that came with it. But still, if there's one thing that Sora knew, it was that he had to try and get help any way possible.

"Cid, we need to go back to Hollow Bastion."

Cid gave Sora a confounded look after he said that. "I don't think I can let you do that, kid. The Heartless there are multiplying by the minute. They'd eat your ship up."

"Then what can we do?" Sora asked impatiently.

That's when the mechanic had an idea. "Simple. Go around 'em instead of through. Install a new navigation gummi and take a new route."

That stumped Donald a bit. "Uh… A new gummi? From where?"

It was a rather good question. They've had their fair share of finding some useful gummis to get them by as they traversed across the worlds, but how were they going to find a navigation gummi block that can deliver them to Hollow Bastion a second time? For that matter, how can it provide another route back without dealing with the overwhelming number of Heartless blocking off the main road?

Cid had the answer to where to look. "The secret waterway. When I came here nine years ago, I stored it in there in case I ever need it." He shook his head. "Never thought a kid would be the one to use it!"

Goofy actually felt pretty good about it. "Well, at least we know where to look."

"Yeah. We'd better go get it and not keep Luna waiting any longer," Donald agreed as he began to walk away.

"If anything, she's probably wondering why we're taking so long to ask for repairs," Sora added as he followed close behind.

.

.

.

After their second visit to Traverse Town, Sora thankfully remembered where the waterway was after they were led there to speak with Leon again. The only thing that was a bit bothersome was where to find that navigation gummi block was hidden exactly; they should've asked Cid where he hid it specifically before they went on their way to find what they needed to make another trip back.

"I wish we had more help finding something so small," Sora confessed with a dismayed sigh.

"Now where would I be if I was a gummi block?" Donald questioned, trying to think it over.

"Wouldn't it be hidden someplace nobody would think of looking?"

Sora jumped a bit when he heard the soft voice behind him, and turned to find Luna in the waterway along with Kairi and Medea.

"How'd you three get here?" he asked.

Medea rolled her eyes. "C'mon, you should that two of us have been in this place previously. And besides, we wanted to know what the hell was taking you boys so damn long."

"So, what are you boys doing down here?" Luna asked out of curiosity. "Are you looking for buried treasure or something?"

"No, we're trying to find a gummi block that Cid had hidden down here," Sora replied, "Problem is, I wish I asked where exactly he hid it."

Kairi chuckled at him. "Sora, you should know how to find hidden treasure. Didn't you and Luna go on adventures and hunt for treasure yourselves on your travels?"

Now, she had a good point there: during their journey, they've sometimes acquired useful resources in order to keep progressing across the roads to different worlds; sometimes these useful items dropped into their hands where they least expected it, like those gummi blocks they found time to time. If that's the case, then it's no different as to what he is doing right now. In fact, maybe he should try…

"Now that I think about it…" he wondered as he shifted his thoughts towards what looked like a mural with a sun-and-moon on it.

That thought was confirmed when he found a cleverly disguised niche within the wall and – sure enough – there was a gummi block hidden inside! That meant Cid will help them install it into the ship, and they'll be ready to go again.

"Well, that was underwhelming," Medea commented, "I'd laugh my ass off if that mechanic so much as hid a gummi block under his pillow or something."

"Why a pillow?" Goofy had to ask.

Luna shrugged. "I don't know. But it would be funny."

"Oh, well. We found it," Sora brushed off the topic. "Let's go back and join the others. We should rest up."

"Okay," Kairi agreed, but there was something else on her mind.

Not long after Donald and Goofy left the waterway, Luna noticed that Kairi seemed to have something on her mind, like a wave of nostalgia crossing her mind. Sora noticed this, too, and suspected something was up.

"A light at the end of a tunnel…" she mused thoughtfully.

Sora had an idea. "Oh, your grandma's story, right?"

Medea raised a baffled brow at him. "What the hell are you talkin' about?"

Kairi turned to Sora with a bit of a surprise. "That's right. We were together."

"Grandma…? Oh…I recall you had one," Luna remembered, looking back on years before.

Sora gave a small smile. "You know what's funny? I looked everywhere for you with Luna, but you were with me all along. Finally we're together, Kairi. Now it's time to get Riku back."

Luna's face fell when she thought back on Riku. She still feared the worst: is there still a chance for him? Her sister certainly understood what she was thinking, since she, too, had her worries about their still missing friend.

"You think it'll ever be the same again between us?" Kairi asked, uncertainty worming its way in. "Riku's lost his…"

Sora held Kairi's hand gently. "When I turned into a Heartless, you saved me, remember? I was lost in the darkness. I couldn't find my way. As I stumbled through the dark, I started forgetting things – my friends, who I was. The darkness almost swallowed me." He paused. "But then I heard a voice – your voice. Not long after, Luna's voice came through." He smiled. "You brought me back, and you had help on that."

"Sounds like Kairi snagged you out, and Luna gave ya a little push back home, huh?" Medea deduced.

Luna blushed shyly. "I…I don't understand that. But, if I helped a little…"

Kairi giggled. "I didn't want to just forget about you, Sora. I couldn't. And my sister would cry if she didn't have her friends."

Hearing all of this gave Sora a bright idea. "That's it! Our hearts are connected. And the light from our hearts broke through the darkness. I saw that light. I think that's what saved me. No matter how deep the darkness, a light shines within." He paused a moment. "I guess it's more than just a fairy tale."

"It does sound that way. It's much different than what I used to be told of," Luna admitted.

"I'm no expert in that stuff, but obviously our monster of the day hasn't thoroughly examined how people can lean one way or another and not go as he thinks," Medea agreed.

"Then let's go," Kairi suggested.

But Sora wouldn't have that. "You can't go."

She frowned a bit. "Why not?"

"Because it's way too dangerous," he insisted, failing to be firm about it.

"C'mon, Sora. We made it this far by sticking together," Kairi implored, "You can't go alone."

"Honey, who do you think you're talking to?" Medea grilled, "He's gone through a lot of hell, and Luna went through a lot of trouble just to save your ass. I don't think they're gonna be alone after all the crap thrown on us."

"Unfortunately, Medea's right about that," Luna agreed, "What's worse is that you don't have a weapon, and I can't protect you from everything."

As disappointing as that was, it couldn't be denied that it's the truth.

But there was one thing Sora could do to console her. "Kairi, even if we're apart, we're not alone anymore. Right?"

"I can't help?" Kairi asked.

"You'd kind of be in my way," Sora insisted.

Luna had half a mind to believe that Kairi would still want to tag along, most likely not wanting to be separated from her friends again after all the trouble they've gone through to rescue her. But then again, she didn't help the situation when she pointed out Kairi's lack of defenses.

Surprisingly, though, she relented. "Okay. You win, you two."

"Three," Medea corrected.

"Medea…" Luna sighed.

Then, Kairi took out the shell charm from her pocket and handed it over to Sora. "Take this. It's my lucky charm. Be sure to bring it back to me."

Sora smiled at this. "Don't worry. I will."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Hey, in case he does forget, we can just smack him upside his head until he remembers," Medea suggested.

"Medea, don't suggest that," Luna protested.

Kairi smiled and shook her head at their comments. "Don't ever forget. Wherever you go, I'm always with you."

It almost made Luna start crying again when she heard her foster sister say this, but she knew that Kairi was just trying to let them know that she'll be okay. After all, they still have a mission, and a friend to rescue from the clutches of that monster called Ansem, and they have to do whatever it takes to put a wrench into his machinations for good. If it meant her family and her new home would be saved and delivered from the terrors of the Heartless, then she needn't worry too much, would she?

* * *

After delivering the gummi block to Cid, he immediately went straight to work on making the installments on their ship – most likely as an excuse to make a couple modifications to make sure the Heartless on the roads don't make too much trouble for them as they head back to Hollow Bastion. Donald and Goofy opted to lend a hand on that, so Sora and Luna were told to just chill out for a bit until they've finished repairs.

Just to pass the time, Luna convinced Sora to help her restock on supplies, mostly with the suspicion that this may be their last chance to buy what they'll need before they inch closer to the point of no return. Not one to say no, he agreed to lend a hand and followed her around to pitch in the munny he acquired to help pay for the bare essentials and then some.

Along the way back to the gummi ship, they had a little run-in with Pinocchio after having reunited father and son back in Monstro's belly; but he wasn't alone: he had Alex accompanying him through town.

"Hi, Sora! Hi, Luna! What are you doing?" the little puppet asked.

"Just helping with a few things before we head out again," Sora replied casually. "Luna needed a helping hand."

"Hello there, Pinocchio. What are you doing with Alex?" Luna greeted sweetly. "Are you playing with him?"

"Not really…We were exploring around," Alex replied shyly, "But because of…those things…we had to stay with Mr. Geppetto more often."

At first, Luna didn't fully understand what the cursed child was talking about when he mentioned the puppet's father; but when she thought back on their return to Traverse Town, she didn't realize that the boy was not with Seymour as he normally would be…until now. Now is as good a time as ever to get a summary as to what she missed while they were off exploring further across the worlds.

"Oh…Pinocchio, were you and your father asked by someone to look after Alex?" Luna asked the boy.

"Yeah. A guy called Seymour visited us, and told us about Alex's situation," Pinocchio answered honestly, "He asked me and father if we would take care of him until his family can be found again, since his parents are nowhere to be found."

"That's a good thing to know," Sora admitted in relief. "I bet Geppetto didn't mind helping a lost child."

"Yes, it must be," Luna agreed. She shifted her attention to Pinocchio. "In that case, let me ask one favor of you: can I trust you to be good with this little boy, maybe be a good brother for him?"

Pinocchio didn't hesitate to answer it. "I'll be good to him. Honest I will."

Hearing such a selfless dedication was impossible to not crack a smile on, especially on Luna's part since she was more aware of the situation after hearing of Seymour's exploits a bit. Sora was also impressed to hear this, even though he hardly knew the children beforehand.

"I'd bet he'll do a good job at it," Sora said confidently.

"I think so…" Luna agreed.

Just then, Medea emerged from Luna's shadow. "I hate to kill the mood, but we're about to get news from our resident knight."

And by 'resident knight', she was talking about Goofy, who had just arrived to give them an update on the repairs made on the ship.

"Hey, guys! We've got the gummi ship modified for our trip back to Hollow Bastion," Goofy announced. "Cid's waiting by the ship, and Donald's got everything running and ready to go."

"Oh, alright then," Luna answered. She turned to Sora. "I guess we'd better get going."

"Yeah, we have a promise to keep," Sora agreed. He turned to the boys a moment. "Sorry, but we have to go. Take care of yourselves, okay?"

"Good luck!" Pinocchio called out as they started to take their leave.

* * *

Cid was certainly not joking when he finished installments on the gummi ship, priming it for another run back to Hollow Bastion to finish the job there. Not to mention, he made sure that the ship was restored well enough to handle the ride back.

"All set! You can get going any time," Cid said as he finished last-minutes touches on the craft. He then shook his head with a sigh. "Kids, I gotta say, I wish you didn't have to face the danger."

"We have to go back there," Sora insisted strongly. "We have a promise to keep."

"I want to find Riku. I don't want to lose him," Luna added, "Not after… I just can't bear losing another person important to me."

"Damn straight you don't," Medea agreed.

"Well, then, let's shove off!" Donald announced as he climb aboard the ship to ready for launch.

"Wait up!"

Kairi's voice reached out, causing Sora and Luna to turn and find her running towards them in a hurry. What was she doing here now, after what Sora had told her?

"Kairi? What are you doing?" Luna asked in confusion.

Kairi stopped to catch her breath before she replied, "I just wanted to see you guys off, that's all. Someone's gotta do that, at least."

"That makes a bit of sense," Medea confessed, "We're about to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire, and there's no knowing what's gonna happen afterwards."

"That's very nice of you, Kairi. But you didn't have to force yourself to…" Luna was cut off when her foster sister hugged her tightly for a brief moment.

Kairi shook her head, trying to hold back tears. "Just promise me that you'll stay safe, and I can rest easy. You and Sora have to come back alive, you hear me?"

Luna nodded with a sad smile. "Okay, Kairi. I promise we'll be safe."

It was a rather emotional scene when Kairi gave both friends a sendoff hug before they departed for Hollow Bastion once more, knowing that things will get more dangerous for them further on down the line. It gave Sora and Luna all the more reason why they have to finish their mission and stop Ansem's schemes from coming to fruition; they had to find the king, and they have to bring Riku back to their side, no matter what it takes to fulfill the promises they've made to their loved ones.

But at the very least, it gave them a greater drive to continue their journey and see it through until they've finally got the chance to go back home with all their friends back together.


	20. Chapter 19: Saving Hollow Bastion

**Hello, everyone! Lilith here.**

 **I apologize if this chapter is shorter than the last, and that I didn't put a lot of details into certain places, but I didn't see a point in writing a big paragraph over a Heartless that can be easily beatable.**

 **All the same, I hope you'll still find this a good chapter. Without further ado, enjoy!**

 **To guest reviewer Gry20: You hoped for a reunion between Luna and the two princesses she met. It may not be a long affair to write home about, but I hope you'll love it all the same. :)**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave me a review, but flames are unacceptable.**

* * *

Chapter 19: Saving Hollow Bastion

When they returned to Hollow Bastion, they found that the Heartless activity seemed to be at a standstill between uncontrollably rampant and barely minimal. Not only that, but they found the Beast as well as Calca keeping the Heartless at bay until they arrived at the entrance. Oddly, Brina was not around to aid her partner; where could she be stationed at, if not helping her master or her fellow automaton?

"Calca, where's Brina?" Luna asked the doll.

Calca turned and pointed towards the castle, indicating that his partner is inside; perhaps she is safeguarding the princesses still inside the halls to her best efforts.

Sora noticed that their ally was not with his princess. "Where's Belle?"

"Still in the castle," Beast replied.

"Against her will?" Goofy wondered, given the situation.

The Beast shook his head. "No, I think she stayed for a reason. The other princesses are inside as well."

Donald got curious. "I wonder why?"

"Probably because of those blasted Heartless still leaking out of that damn keyhole," Medea bluntly answered.

"Let's go ask them," Sora suggested, ready to head inside.

"We should. They might have more awareness as to what's going on," Luna agreed.

"Then you'll need my strength," Beast warned them, "and Calca's magic. We'll go with you."

Where Luna's concerned, the Beast was not joking around in that department; considering how dangerous the castle has gotten, even with Sora's keyblade in tow, the monsters would still be a threat without extra hands on board at this point.

In fact, just getting through the corridors leading back to where the seven princesses are waiting for them was no cakewalk in itself; Heartless roamed around and swarmed in larger numbers than ever, and they had to stay on their toes on a constant basis in order to reach the chamber where the keyhole is and finish the job. But thanks in part to the Beast's brute strength and Calca's black magic providing additional supplements to the tougher legions trying to impede them; it was possible to proceed a little further with each step through the desolate hallways of the abandoned castle.

But after all the trouble it took them, they finally reached the chamber that Maleficent had originally used to take the fight against them and found five of the seven princesses gathered together; added bonus, Brina was with them, keeping an eye out for any Heartless attempting to creep in until she spotted Calca coming with additional allies to finish cleaning up the mess in the castle. Needless to say, she was quite happy to see her partner again.

"I guess Brina was protecting the princesses while Calca's away," Donald guessed.

"That explains why all the ladies are gathered nearby her," Medea commented, "I wouldn't be surprised if her white magic kept the Heartless from intruding on them under her watch."

Luna didn't have any words to spill when she examined the princesses, and could identify the two she had met personally all those years ago, and the third whom she had barely heard of when she ventured around the worlds. She felt like choking up at the nostalgia, but now was not the time to reminisce about the bygone days of her childish years: they have to close the keyhole. She'll worry about it once things have settled down.

"Hey, Luna, did you know a few of the princesses?" Sora asked her, making sure she's okay.

She nodded slowly. "I did…way back when. I would like to stay and talk, but…I'm afraid it'll have to wait, at least until we've sealed the keyhole."

"Don't worry. We'll let you have a moment when we're done, if you'd like," Goofy offered.

"Then we'd better find out what's the situation and clean up the mess, like right now," Medea pressed them.

Luck was on their side, of course, thanks in part to two of the kidnapped maidens – Alice and Jasmine, from their encounters before their kidnapping – recognizing them before the witch took them away.

"Sora and Luna! How curious to see you both again under these troubling circumstances," Alice admitted in surprise.

"Yeah, considering how we all got into this," Sora agreed, though he failed to see how curious their circumstances are.

"Sora, Luna, please hurry! Darkness is pouring from the Keyhole," Jasmine urged them with worry tinging in her tone.

"I guess it's gotten worse after we left," Luna speculated, "Despite your pure hearts, you can only do so much."

Alice had to agree on it. "It's all we can do just to hold back the darkness."

"I don't know how long we can manage even that," another princess, Snow White, agreed.

Sora nodded. "Alright, we're on our way."

But then Medea had another thought on her mind. "Makes me wonder where the hell that Ansem creep disappeared to after we'd left."

"We'll worry about that later, after we've sealed the keyhole," Donald didn't want to dawdle for another minute.

Any other concerns had to wait because there's still the Heartless to deal with, that was something Sora and Luna had to agree on; anything regarding Ansem could also be questioned later, since they have yet to understand what his deal is with threatening the safety of the worlds all those years. Maybe the answers can be found after Hollow Bastion is saved from being swallowed by the darkness.

Not wasting any more time, the party made their way back to the chamber where the Keyhole is still overflowing with the impending darkness. But just reaching the keyhole itself was no easy task because the Heartless were more prominent in numbers, trying to prevent them from finishing the job.

"This is it, Luna. Let's get this keyhole locked up for good this time!" Sora said as he readied his keyblade.

"I sense something sinister inside," Luna noted nervously, "Something…enormous. We'd better be careful."

"If Luna says something big is in there, then that's means something worse is trying to get loose," Medea agreed as she readied her claws.

"Right!" Donald had to agree with her.

Charging straight into the insignia, the party found themselves facing a gigantic, beastly Heartless that looked like a cross between an elephant and a bull, except more monstrous and intimidating than most Heartless they've seen so far.

"No wonder Luna got worried! That bugger's practically a behemoth compared to the other pests we've had to deal with!" Medea exclaimed.

"We've beaten other giants," Sora reminded her logically, "so we should be able to handle another giant monster."

Interestingly, Sora was partially correct about his assumptions, considering how they fought against other giant Heartless in some of the worlds and – one way or another – have found a reasonable solution to overcome those titanic beings that endangered whoever got caught in the middle of the crossfire (if there were any residents that did experience that). But with the case of this new monster, they still had to be very careful about confronting it head on.

Sora and Medea rushed ahead to confront the behemoth directly as the main aggressors while Donald and Luna hung back and bombarded the creature with every magic spell they could throw at it as Goofy stayed near their vicinity just to be sure that neither of them would be hit by the brunt of the enormous tusks swinging around the area.

Within a decent amount of time, they were able to successfully defeat the behemoth with little trouble, allowing them to finish the job without any further interference.

"Well, that bugger was cakewalk compared to the hijacker," Medea commented sarcastically.

"Now let's go and seal that big keyhole!" Goofy said.

"Sora, Luna, you did it."

Luna and Sora, recognizing the voice, turned and hurried out to find Leon and the others had arrived at Hollow Bastion.

"What are you guys doing here?" Sora asked in confusion.

Yuffie chuckled a bit at such a silly question. "We came in Cid's ship."

"This is our childhood home," Aerith explained. "We wanted to see it again."

Leon looked around at the state of the chamber. "It's in worse shape than I feared. It used to be peaceful…"

"Oh, we would certainly know better than you, little cub," Shantotto huffed haughtily, "Or am I to assume you forgot that I am one of the more knowledgeable residents of this place, bub?"

"All due respect, Professor, the other citizens didn't reside in the castle as we once did," Larsa reminded her cautiously.

"Don't worry. If we defeat Ansem, all should be restored," Aerith reassured everyone. She turned to Sora and Luna. "Including your island."

That gave Sora some hope. "Really?"

"That would be a relief," Luna agreed.

"But, it also means goodbye," Yuffie added sadly.

"I don't like where this is going…" Medea admitted.

"Indeed. Once the worlds are restored, they'll be separate again," Seymour replied, shaking his head in displeasure.

"And everyone will go back to where they came from," Zidane added.

It was clear Sora didn't like the idea. "Then we'll visit you guys with the gummi ship."

Leon shook his head. "It's not so simple."

"Before all this, you didn't know about the other worlds, right?" Yuffie pointed out.

"Sora certainly didn't. But I did, to an extent, years ago," Luna replied, speaking more from experience.

"Right. Because every world was isolated," Aerith agreed with her, "Impassable walls divided them."

"The Heartless destroyed those walls," Yuffie added, "But if the worlds return, so will the walls."

"Which means gummi ships will be useless," Leon finished the confession.

Sora was very disappointed. "Then that means we'll…?"

"Damn. What a way to make things sappy," Medea sighed. "You'd think we've had enough killjoys for one day."

But then, Leon put a hand on Sora and Luna's heads in reassurance. "We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other."

Aerith smiled softly. "No matter where we are, our hearts will bring us together again."

"Besides, I couldn't forget you two even if I wanted to," Yuffie confessed.

Sora raised a brow at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think she meant that she can't bring herself to forget the times we had when we met them," Luna clarified.

But then their friends interrupted the mood with their problem still up and running.

"Sora!"

"Hurry! Come and close the Keyhole!" Goofy called out from the platform.

"Oh, yeah, we forgot about that," Medea deadpanned.

Luna turned to Sora. "You do what you have to, Sora. Once you're done, I'll check the place, just like before."

Sora nodded in agreement, and hurried ahead to finish the job once and for all. Hurrying to where the Keyhole still resided, he raised his keyblade and, with a flash of light, used its power and locked the Keyhole, this time successfully preventing the darkness from overflowing out of the castle. Luna used her power to check within the area, and was pleased to find that the dark presence was no longer suffocating inside the walls of the castle.

"That should do it," Luna said as she finished examinations. "That can give us a moment to catch our breath before we head out again."

"But before we do that, we still have a few other things to attend to," Donald reminded them.

"Oh, yeah, we need to know where Ansem went," Sora agreed, remembering there was something left out. "And also…" He turned to Luna. "I think you deserve a chance to catch with some people you knew. We can wait for you until you're ready."

At first, Luna had no idea what he was talking about…until she realized that Sora had some level of awareness that she knew a few of the princesses that were taken to Hollow Bastion. Perhaps he wanted her to have a chance to reunite with them before they left to search for Ansem. Then again, Sora and the others might want to acquire more information as to where the villain had disappeared to after the Keyhole was unlocked; any information they can get would help them prepare for their confrontation against him, wherever he might be regrouping himself.

"Okay…Thank you, Sora," Luna said as she wiped a tear away. "I'll be seeing you guys later, then."

"No sweat, boys. I'll just stay with her until you call," Medea assured them nonchalantly.

* * *

In the library, Sora and the boys found Aerith examining the bookshelves with Seymour and Larsa while Gabranth stayed nearby to keep an eye out; most likely they were searching for more information on the Ansem character in the hopes of finding answers on the reason for the Heartless invasion in the first place. Just as he was about to ask what they found, Seymour noticed him coming and turned to face him.

"Ah, Sora, you came at a good time," he said calmly, "I was hoping we could ask if you had found any of Ansem's reports while you were travelling."

That helped the boy remember the reports he collected. "Oh, yeah, we did find some of them. We even had them translated by Cid while we were crossing the roads. Why do you ask?"

"We found several more reports written by Ansem," Aerith replied as she handed him the rest of the reports to examine. "Maleficent must have collected them so she could learn how to control the Heartless."

"I wouldn't be surprised if the witch figured out how to do so," Larsa confessed, "considering how much trouble she caused after this world was invaded by the Heartless nine years ago."

"Then how does Ansem fit in all this?" Donald wondered.

"Well, Ansem disappeared when this world fell to darkness," Aerith remembered, as painful as it was to think about it. "It was believed he died defending people from the Heartless. But Ansem was the one who brought them here."

Oh, was Sora horrified to hear this. "Ansem was the reason the Heartless caused this much destruction?! Then, if that's the case, he might be the reason Luna was mentally sick years ago. Am I right?"

Strangely, while Aerith had no idea how to answer Sora's wild theory, Seymour and Larsa fell abruptly silent with barely hidden unease crossing their faces; Gabranth merely turned away, not too keen on giving an answer to the questions the boy might have.

"Actually…I don't think we've heard from Luna what she remembers," Seymour confessed hesitantly, "She might not have an idea whether she knows him prior to her memory gap."

"What good will it do the boy now?" Gabranth suddenly spoke curtly. "That man is still a problem that needs to be dealt with, and if nothing is done, Hollow Bastion will no doubt be attacked again in full force."

"That is an unfortunate truth;" Larsa agreed reluctantly, "You and Luna should prioritize the pursuit of Ansem first, and put a stop to his schemes against the worlds."

"Yup, we still got a job to do," Goofy agreed, "and we still haven't found the king yet. And Sora and Luna want to find Riku, too."

Sora made to agree with Goofy, but was interrupted when he felt a tug on his pants and looked down to notice that Calca was trying to get his attention. The boyish doll started to eagerly tug at the hem, leading him and pointing towards the upstairs where Sora noticed that the Beast and Belle were having a heartwarming reunion with Brina watching happily from the sidelines. Apparently, Calca wanted him to have a word with them before they left anywhere, especially after how much help they put in to reunite both dolls with their owners since their official meeting in Traverse Town.

"Do you want us to talk to your owners?" Sora asked. Calca gave an excited nod, confirming what he thought. "I'll take that as a 'yes', then."

With an enthusiastic Calca leading along, Sora had to follow him up the stairs with Donald and Goofy following close behind him. Their arrival caught Brina's attention as she gently tugged at the skirt of her princess's dress and gestured her owners to Sora.

Now that he got to meet Belle personally, Sora could tell how much the dolls treasure her as one of their trusted owners besides the Beast. When Larsa explained their situation before leaving for Hollow Bastion, he had no idea what to expect after hearing about their request to help them search for their master and princess; but now that he got to see both of them together, he could see why they were willing to join the fight if it helped them find what they were looking for all this time.

"Hello there. You must be Sora," Belle said politely. "Calca and Brina told me about you and your friends. I'm grateful that you were willing to help them find us."

"It's no problem," Sora replied casually, "It was Luna's decision that we take them with us to this place. They really wanted help, and she couldn't say no to their pleas. They were worried about you and Beast after they ended up in Traverse Town."

Calca and Brina made cutesy, innocent gestures like they were implying something along the lines of 'Oh, it's a long story' to their owners.

"It makes me wonder how they escaped being lost to the darkness," Donald admitted, thinking back on first meeting them.

"Maybe it's like what we heard about the Beast," Goofy guessed, "Even though they lost their world, they didn't lose their hearts. But they found themselves in Traverse Town like other refugees, unlike their owners."

It's a bit of a stretch, but that would explain how the dolls got separated from the Beast after their home world was destroyed by the Heartless. But at least it helped them assist the two in finding Beast and Belle, and it brought them back together again.

"Where is your friend?" Beast asked, upon noticing Luna's not with them.

"She's with the princesses at the moment," Sora answered, "We just thought we'd give her a moment alone. Though, we might have to get going pretty soon and locate Ansem."

"That's right. We need to know where he went after the Keyhole was unlocked," Donald added.

Belle shook her head. "He's gone. When the keyhole appeared, darkness came out of it. It swallowed Ansem, and he disappeared."

That explained it. Given his obsession over such a dangerous force, it shouldn't be too surprising to know that he would allow himself to be swallowed by the force that he seemed to relish so much. Perhaps when he disappeared, he moved to another location, where the darkness would've been greater in power, and uses that in order to spread his own sinister influence.

With that knowledge, this gave Sora all the more reason why he had to head out and defeat him once and for all; Luna is counting on him to help find Riku and their friends need to reunite with their lost king. Kairi wants all of them to come back together, back to the islands together and return to their family and friends back on the islands. Ansem ruined their lives, so it's only fair that he should get the beat-down that he deserves.

"In that case, we'd better get going," Sora said, "Luna's gonna need to be in the know, and we'll need a plan before we go after him. That and we'll have to be ready for a potentially unrelenting enemy who won't let up on us."

* * *

At the same time, not long after Sora and the boys had left to gather more information on Ansem and his whereabouts after the unlocking of the Keyhole, Luna was left there with Medea to keep an eye on her as she came face-to-face with the princesses she met in the past.

After having encountered the Fairy Godmother back in Traverse Town during their travels, it was a lot more emotional for her to see the two princesses – Cinderella and Snow White – again after ten years; it was hard to imagine how long it's been since she last saw them. After all, she was very young and naïve when she last met them and it was her first time exploring the boundaries of her first adoptive home without the watch of an adult. But regardless, she couldn't help but let all those childish sentiments loose into the open as she ran over to the first princess she met and held her tightly like a safety line. Cinderella was the first to reciprocate her embrace, holding her like a nurturing mother would do.

"I'm sorry…Snow White, Cinderella, it's been too long," Luna apologized in tears, "I never thought I'd see you both again. Not after…what I've heard happened after Sora and I arrived in Traverse Town, separated from our childhood friends."

"I could say the same thing to you, Luna," Cinderella agreed with a sweet smile. "The first time we met, you were only a small child who I thought got lost at the castle. And here you are now, much changed since we last met."

"I thought I recognized you, too," Snow White agreed as she gently approached her. "I thought you were a lost child as well, and that felt like a long time ago. Look how much you've grown. How did you grow so much over the years?"

What could she say in this situation? Luna had no idea how to explain to them what she went through after she had crossed paths with them (and that was before she gained her Shadow Guardian), less so because she still has a fragmented gap between going back with Aqua to find Terra and arriving on Destiny Islands with no memories to explain how she got there in the first place. She would've loved to explain everything to them, but she wouldn't exactly know where to begin. How can she confess her trouble if she can't remember what was the cause early on in her life?

"I…I don't know what to tell you. Some of my memories are a mess," Luna replied nervously, "All I know is that I got to the islands for some reason, and I've lived with Sora, Kairi, and Riku since then for nine years. I probably would've remained broken forever if I didn't have them to help me recover."

That got Cinderella worried. "Broken? What happened?"

"Luna ended up mentally ill," Medea bluntly answered for her. "But she can't give details since she still hasn't recovered all her in-between memories yet."

As brutally honest as Medea was about her position, Luna knew that she was telling the truth because someone has to be in the know about what she's been through. Though, it was still unnerving for the princesses to know that the child they met several years ago experienced a mental breakdown at so young an age.

Snow White was shocked to hear about this. "Oh…how terrible. And you were so young! What did you do to deserve it?"

It was nearly impossible for Luna to answer, but Snow White was correct on her question. She didn't deserve such a harsh decline, since it left her without those she once called her family and friends under the worst of circumstances…if only she could clearly remember the last moments of her past before her mental breakdown.

"I wish I could tell you, but…I don't know how," Luna admitted shamefully.

"Yeah…it's complicated, to say the least," Medea interjected knowingly. "And I'm not gonna be able to help explain about it, since even my knowledge is limited."

That was true, since Medea was out of commission for years, and Luna had no knowledge as to what caused it in the first place. But thankfully, the princesses were willing to accept what could be given and acknowledge that the past is the past.

"Well, regardless, what matters is that you're here and you're well," Snow White reassured her. "And I can tell you made more friends the past ten years. That's a good thing, I'd say."

"Yes, I did. Kairi is my big sister now, and Sora has been a good friend to me," Luna agreed with a small smile. "Riku has been a dear friend, too…" She noticed herself faltering at mentioning Riku's name, due to the lingering fear plaguing her mind. "But…I don't know where he is now, or if he's even alive. I'm worried about him…I hope he's not completely gone, after what Ansem had done to ruin him."

Medea noticed this, and cringed in uncertainty. "Oh, yeah…after what that jackass had done to royally screw him over, I dread to think of what he's going through now. I regret to say that I partially made things a crap-ton worse, and it's already biting me in my ass."

It's easily noticeable that her guardian's guilt is still lingering after the ordeals of their first venture through Hollow Bastion. Luna couldn't entirely blame Medea for her mistakes, even though she had unintentionally exploded on Donald and Riku for their treatment of others and what she at first perceived as a betrayal. Though she's reconciled with Donald, she had yet to make amends with Riku, and it won't be possible so long as Ansem is still causing trouble.

Before Luna could ask her Guardian anything, she turned to approaching footsteps and found that Sora returned from his errands with Donald and Goofy. It made her wonder if they found anything useful regarding Ansem.

"Sorry for interrupting, Luna. Is everything going okay?" Sora apologized.

"Yes, we're alright. It's just…well, it's a bit strange meeting them again after ten years," Luna replied sheepishly.

"What'd you find out?" Medea decided to cut to the chase.

"Well, we know that Ansem is not here anymore," Donald replied, "so we're planning on taking off and finding out where he went. If you're ready to go, then let's shove off."

Luna had a suspicion where this is going; this means the big battle is about to come their way, and once they journey into the belly of the beast, there is no turning back afterwards. As much as she wanted to stick around, or return to Kairi for that matter, she knew that she had to make a stand – this time, no hesitating on facing the enemy that brought ruin to the worlds in the first place. Ansem is making Riku suffer in his grasp, and she wants him to know the consequences of messing with her friends and loved ones.

"I guess we have no choice," Luna agreed with some reluctance. "But it would be a good idea to prepare in advance. Maybe we should train a little more before we journey into wherever Ansem is hiding himself."

Goofy knew what she meant by that. "She's got a point there."

"Yeah, I sure as hell don't wanna get impaled like the last time," Medea agreed with a growl.

That gave Sora an idea. "I think I know just the place to do that…"

While the others were distracted with their plans, Luna turned to the princesses one last time, knowing that they are being forced to part ways again after years of not seeing each other. She knew that their lives and the worlds are at stake, but at the same time it hurt that she wasn't able to be around them much longer with the crisis still lingering on every living thing scattered all over the place. But she was slightly consoled by the fact that once Ansem is out of the picture, it means that the princesses will be safe from evil for a while – and she doesn't want a single one of them to be endangered a second time.

Cinderella and Snow White apparently knew that the now older Luna has to shoulder a greater responsibility than she used to years prior, but they showed no regrets on speaking with her again, brief though it certainly was.

"Will you be alright?" Luna asked them, concerned for their feelings. "Once we defeat Ansem, it'll be harder to see you."

Cinderella shook her head with a gentle smile. "Don't worry about us, Luna. You and Sora have already done so much to save us. We'll be alright."

"Perhaps under better circumstances, we might be able to see each other again someday," Snow White agreed cheerfully. "I know some friends who would've wanted to see you as you are now."

As comforting as it was to hear them assure her that they'll be okay without her, Luna still couldn't help feeling terrible for leaving so soon. But when used her window of opportunity to reach out and embrace the two kind-hearted princesses one more time, it felt heartwarming knowing that she has more reasons than ever to stand strong – and that this time around, she's not going through the terrors of the darkness alone, not without a friend by her side when she needs help most.

"Luna, you ready?" Sora called to her.

She released the princesses and turned back with a growing conviction. "I'm ready now, Sora. I just had to give my farewell, that's all."

* * *

With no Heartless to give them further problems in the castle, it made returning to the gummi ship much easier for them in order to make final preparations for what might be their last journey across the worlds together. However, while Donald and Goofy were checking things over regarding the ship, Sora and Luna got themselves a surprise when Shantotto and Cid arrived to see them off personally – but not without being given words of final warnings from them of the danger they'll be facing soon enough.

"The castle barely earned a rescue, and already you're intending to hurl yourselves out of the frying pan?" Shantotto interrogated, "I understand you want to give that fiend his punishment's due, but if I had the power I would put you all under a ban. Still, I'm certain this next battle you'll face is one that must be won. I can tell you right now, though, it won't be fun."

"We know that. But we have to do this," Sora insisted, "We have to get Riku back. We promised Kairi we would do that."

"I appreciate the concerns, but I don't want to lose another person precious to me," Luna added.

"Yeah, we know that. Just do us all a favor, and live through it, ya got it?" Cid commanded sternly to them.

"No way we're gonna lose!" Sora answered while Luna replied, "We won't let him win, that we promise."


	21. Chapter 20: Vayne

**I'm pretty sure that Sephiroth fans are gonna kick my ass for not putting a fight with him in here.**

 **In all honesty, I wanted to insert a bonus boss chapter in at least one of my fics. But rather than do Sephster like other people would, I decided to do this my way. So, since I inserted FF characters of my own choosing, I decided to have Luna and Medea have a confrontation against the long-lost Vayne Solidor, who has been missing for years (if any of you read Scattered Hearts, you'd know where this is going).**

 **The kicker with it is that this confrontation is more a little hint that it won't be the last time our ladies will be seeing him. He'll show up again...eventually.**

 **Anyways, we're getting closer to concluding this storyline, and you know what that means. Oh, yes, Chain of Memories is creeping closer.**

 **I might consider starting other fanfics when I have the opportunity, but I'll need to think over what new one to get a start on.**

 **Regardless, I hope you're still enjoying this. So without further ado, hope you like this chapter!**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave me a review, but flames are not welcome.**

* * *

Chapter 20: Vayne

At Sora's suggestion – and the common sense that a little extra training would help in the long run for the battle to come – they made a detour at the coliseum to prepare themselves before tracking down Ansem. They made pretty good timing apparently, since a few tournaments are being hosted by Phil, and even Hercules is participating in one of them. Luna willingly joined in with Sora, Donald and Goofy to duke it out in a two of the games, dealing with various Heartless that attempted to overpower them to no avail while Medea watched from the lobby as they made progress through the rounds.

But when it came to the third part of the tournament, Luna opted to sit it out and let Sora get more practice in the ring and watched him plow through the Heartless efficiently, eventually leading to the one-on-one match against Hercules himself.

Before she could enjoy the start of the match, though, Luna suddenly detected the faint aura of darkness flickering outside of the coliseum itself. It didn't feel like Ansem, but she didn't have the slightest idea who – or what – was bearing the malicious presence. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something about was just…uncanny. Even Medea quickly caught on that something doesn't sit right, and it's bothering her.

"Medea…something's here," Luna said cautiously. "Did you sense it?"

"Sure did, and it doesn't feel familiar to me," Medea replied tensely.

Though she didn't want to wander off on short notice behind Sora's back, Luna knew that she couldn't ignore the aura forever; she had to investigate what it is, and do something about it on her own. Quietly and quickly, both ladies slipped away from the entrance to the arena and hurried out of the lobby to inspect the outside – and were surprised to find a lone male human figure standing outside the gates, gazing out into the distance as though lost in thought.

At first, they couldn't clearly tell who it is because the stranger's back is facing them; but when they slowly started to make an approach, the mysterious visitor began to turn around and warily notice them from the corner of his eye.

"You noticed…I suppose that shouldn't be too farfetched," the stranger commented calmly. "A person with strong ties to the shadows would notice things faster than others."

Luna didn't answer him at first, mainly because she finally got her chance to see the face of the uninvited visitor…and she was quite stunned when she got to look at him directly.

The man who faced her seemed no older than somewhere in his twenties, with blue eyes and shoulder-length black hair, and skin that seemed fairly light at best; he was regally dressed in a dark-green pullover and pants, and a sleeveless scaled green armor complemented by white-and-gold shoulder pads and armlets with white gloves covering his hands, and a gold belt holding a cloak of dark blue, red, and white.

Although he appeared to be a normal human being, there was something about him that didn't feel right. It's almost as though something sinister has clouded the otherwise dignified visage of a man.

But the stranger paid no heed to Luna's gawking and spoke to her, "I see you don't recognize me too well…such a pity. In that case, allow me to refresh your memory a little: I am Vayne Carudas Solidor, older brother to Larsa. The last time we met, you were but a small child, very fragile and had to be handled by someone trustworthy until your illness affecting your mind is diminished."

It took a few seconds for her to process what she was hearing, but hearing the name gave her an idea of who she was talking to…even though her memory was still foggy, preventing her from remembering the bigger picture. Perhaps, if it's possible, he might have part of the answer for the gaps lingering in her mind?

"…Vayne? You're Larsa's brother?" Luna questioned, uncertain if it's true. "If…if you really are Vayne, can you tell me what happened to you? Why were you not in Traverse Town, like your brother or Gabranth?"

He didn't answer her for a moment; his face was almost unreadable, making it hard to discern whether he was contemplating her questions or if he was analyzing her behavior.

But then he gave a strange response. "If you knew of the horrors I had to endure, would you be willing to do anything to protect your loved ones in the hell to follow? As a Shadow Mage, you would've had great power over a force not many would dare to tap into without facing prejudice or repercussions from others. I have already endured hell years ago, and in the process have stained my hands with a sin too great for even my brother to behold." He paused. "Answer this, Luna: should you meet Larsa again, do you have the courage to tell him what his brother became after years of absence?"

"What? What do you mean?" Luna asked, confused as to what he was talking about.

Medea was having none of that. "I dunno what your problem is, but if you're not gonna give us a clear answer on what the hell your business is, then I'm making you spill it out!"

With her Black Claws formed, Medea instantly charged forward at Vayne, intending to attack him head-on. But just as her claws were about to hit the mark, she got a big surprise when he raised his arm and effectively blocked her with just his hand. Then, all of a sudden, he delivered a strong kick to her stomach and was sent crashing into the columns to the left.

Stunned by the strength, Luna glanced to Medea as her guardian was recovering from the impact, and then over to an unfazed Vayne as he reverted to his noble posture.

"How…? Why did you do that?" Luna wanted to know.

Vayne, with his calm, stained voice, answered, "Do you really want to know, or do you intend to stay by the sidelines?"

Perceiving it as a challenge to fight him, Luna cautiously summoned her Shadow Hands just as Medea joined her to team up against their unexpected opponent. Thankfully, because Phil is not around to reprimand them for battling outside of the ring, it meant that they can duke it out without possible interference to hinder them. However, this didn't mean that Vayne was pulling any punches on them, and he was definitely letting them know that he won't be lenient on them simply because they're women. If there was one way to describe their battle, it would be like trying to punch through a reinforced metal wall.

Medea's offensive approaches with her claws were either countered with ease with well-timed blocks or tripped up with a counteroffensive that forced her back a few yards. On Luna's part, she first attempted to use her Shadow Hands to shoot out different magic spells against him just to test what he would do against it; but she found that he either didn't feel fazed by the blasts of magical energy or he was able to fluently evade the oncoming projectiles that launched towards his initial position.

But in the process of their assaults, Vayne didn't hesitate to make his move against them and showed how easily he can close the distance between him and the Hands that Luna set up in defensive positions to protect her blind spots. In fact, neither of the girls expected him to be capable of fending them both off bare-handed when every sorcerer or actual weapon masters who tried to get rid of them failed miserably at working around their abilities (but then again, given the villains they had fought throughout their travels, the baddies that gave them trouble were not the brightest bulbs they've encountered aside from Maleficent to an extent).

"What the hell?" Medea growled in frustration. "What did he do to get strong enough to trip us up, and with only his hands?"

"I don't know…" Luna replied, "I've never seen such strength."

As the fight continued, Luna actually opted to change up her approach and attempted to rely solely on the might of her Shadow Hands just to test how Vayne might respond to her usual method of attack. True to her suspicions, he proved more than capable of holding his ground against the fingered tendrils she would unleash against him irregularly. Worse still, he would not let up on his evened shifts between offense and defense against them.

"You certainly have potential, which is true. But what is holding you back?" Vayne questioned her like he was interrogating her. "Even if you do destroy your intended foe, what good will your current skills do you if you do not break the restrains placed on you by whatever held you back from the start? You are a Shadow Mage, are you not? Then show me what power you have, and expand upon it beyond what others will never be able to match!"

As much as Luna wanted to determine whether he was actively provoking her or secretly trying to offer a word of wisdom, she forced herself to push those thoughts aside in order to keep her focus on the fight at hand.

But the fight only became more difficult when Vayne charged up a force of energy into one of his fists and, with a single punch, sent out a focused shockwave towards the girls and knocked them a good distance from his position – Medea being knocked back with tremendous force and Luna barely being able to keep herself from slamming into a wall with one of her conjurations holding her by her back. In the process, a booming rumble could be heard within the area as the entrance shook from the force of the quakes spread across the ground. This attack was used at least two more times between strikes until they found their backs against the wall.

So, left with no other options to fall back on, Luna decide right then and there to attempt to go all out on her conjurations; but unlike those moments where she simply summoned giant versions of her Hands (like she did against Cerberus and Riku), she opted to also defend herself from Vayne's assault as much as she possibly could.

"Medea, you'd best stay back a moment," she ordered her guardian, "This might get a little dangerous."

Medea, facing exhaustion and having too few options to keep up the confrontation, reluctantly backed away just to see what her master has planned.

As she raised her arms slowly, a dark energy oozed from her shadow like a puddle until a large Shadow Hand emerged, picking Luna up and cradling her like a bird in a cage, and several Hands of various shapes and sizes surrounded her at her beck and call.

"I didn't want to do this," she warned her opponent, "but you gave me no other choice…"

With waves of her arms and flicks of her fingers, Luna unleashed a horde of Shadow Hands one after another on Vayne, all of them intent on seizing him and pounding him to the ground. But the first wave failed to capture him when he sidestepped the tendrils one by one, allowing them to latch against the ground upon failing to capture him; when the second wave was sent to pursue and pummel him into the ground, she wasn't prepared for another attack that would throw her off – and warn her of what she should've known about.

Just as his originally normal eyes gleamed sinisterly, Vayne suddenly unleashed a powerful barrage of punches and kicks, repelling the second wave of Shadow Hands coming to him without even breaking a sweat. Then, he pulled back his fist, channeling enormous amounts of energy until – at maximum power – he let loose a single punch devastating enough to smash through the swarm of Hands with one blow; even Luna herself experienced the full force of the blast of energy as she was sent sliding across the ground whilst barely protected by the fingers entwined around her body, almost causing her to crash into the wall from the impacting force that pushed her an incredible distance.

Not far from her, Medea was stunned to witness Vayne's attack and what effect it had on Luna, confounded as to how he was able to punch through her defenses that easily.

After a few moments, once the dust and winds caused by the overpowering attack had subsided and cleared away from the area, both ladies found Vayne still standing strong; however, instead of ending the fight personally, he shifted his attention away from them and brushed his shoulders of any dust that managed to flutter on him.

It baffled the two women to see that he was able to do to them and how absurdly overwhelming he was in his power, and yet he willingly acknowledged they were at standing against their enemies thus far. But now, he stopped what he was doing, and didn't even try to exploit their weakened state; instead, he stopped confronting them and turned away from them like nothing happened at all.

"What the hell? He beat us down like it's no problem," Medea grilled, confused at the change of mood, "and now he's acting nothing happened to either of us. What's he really doing?"

Luna shook her head as she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't understand either…"

"You're both presuming too much. I'm not here to destroy you," Vayne answered for them like he read their minds. "If I truly intended that, you both would've perished already."

That answered their questions…sort of. But it still didn't explain as to what his agenda was for showing up at the coliseum without warning.

"Then, let me ask one thing, Vayne," Luna requested carefully, "Given how you claim to have known me, and that you are Larsa's brother, why did you attack me and Medea? For what gains did you have us fight you?"

"Before I answer, let me propose my question: why do you fight?" Vayne asked her, getting to the heart of the matter.

"Plenty of reasons: saving the worlds from being devoured by the darkness, beating the crap out of the jackass causing the problems," Medea retorted. "And that's just the tip of the iceberg."

"Medea's right on a few parts, but I have my own reasons, too," Luna answered, "I have a friend, and he needs help. Someone horrible - who looks like someone I should know about years before – took him from me; just like he did…my brother. I want to return to the islands, with all of my friends together, nothing more."

There was a momentary silence as Luna watched Vayne analyze her like he was determining whether she spoke honestly or not.

But then he said simply, "Childish words, but noble words as well."

Turning away from them, he raised an arm up towards the archway leading below the stairway, and a shadowy dark portal appeared before their eyes. Both women were shocked to see this, but Vayne paid no heed to the abnormality of the presence he brought forth.

He then turned to the two and said to them, "There is still so much for both of you to learn. Should our paths cross again, I expect you and your Guardian to become stronger…for I will not be lenient on you a second time." He paused a moment. "And kindly don't inform your compatriots of our encounter. I doubt the boy you're traveling with would be able to understand the part I play in this madness."

Without another word, he walked away from them and vanished into the portal without a trace, leaving Luna and Medea alone to ponder over the strange events that they experienced without the boys to keep an eye on them.

"What the hell was that about? And why did he say he won't be as lenient on us the next time we meet him?" Medea questioned, "He managed to beat us around like ragdolls! I'm only surprised that he didn't try to kill us."

"I don't think dispatching us was his plan," Luna speculated, "I think he has something else in mind, but he won't tell us what." She paused. "But he is right about one thing: we won't be able to fight him again as we are now. He wants us to get stronger, and though I may not know how we should, we might as well take his word for it. Clearly he must have a reason to place such an expectation on us."

Medea couldn't argue with her master on that one: ten years ago, Luna was able to pull through the tragic adventure because she relied on her older peers to help her through thick and thin. But now that they aren't around, she was forced to advance what she learned to another level on her own. The both of them would have to search for what it is they lacked according to Vayne, and then determine what they could do with whatever it is he wanted them to seek out for themselves.

"You're probably right about that," her guardian agreed reluctantly.

"All the same, it's best if we don't tell Sora," Luna added, "I don't want to burden him with the knowledge of what we encountered. I'd rather we deal with it on our own when we next meet Vayne."

Medea nodded cautiously. "If you say so…"

* * *

After taking a few moments to recover their strengths (with a little help from elixirs and ethers), Luna and Medea returned to the lobby to find out what went on at the arena while they were away. Not one minute after entering inside, they were immediately approached by Sora and the others as Donald interrogated them as to where they were during the match and Sora tried to convince him to chill out and let them explain themselves.

But true to their words of secrecy, both girls lied that they thought they had heard something, but they got caught by Heartless and had to get rid of them before they tried to invade the arena on their own. Quite surprisingly, the boys bought their words rather quickly and thanked them for their efforts – but not without Donald warning them to let one of them know whether they needed help the next time they unexpectedly encounter Heartless on their own. Sora and Goofy recapped what went on while the girls were elsewhere, explaining that Sora was able to beat Hercules himself in the finals by himself and that they found – and locked – the coliseum's keyhole concealed underneath that heavy block the whole time. At least this was good news for Luna; that meant any Heartless invasion of the magnificent world will be greatly diminished from here on out.

With that out of the way, the party returned to the gummi ship to learn that Ansem's location has finally been pinpointed. Before leaving, they took the time to enjoy themselves before preparing for the hardest confrontation to come – knowing that when they do find Ansem, there is no turning back from their journey. Their friends are counting on them, and they have to win this battle at all costs.


	22. Chapter 21: The Battle to Seal the Door

**Alright, we're finally at the home stretch!**

 **I just wanted to get the final confrontation over with, so that I can wrap up Tainted Hearts. However, like I did with my previous stories, I do intend to have epilogues put in to let you know what's coming up next - as well as what additions will be made in the next story.**

 **And believe me, I tried my damnest to put in some detail as to what the hell is going on in this department and to throw all the final world and boss battle into one package so that you, my dear reviewers, favoriters, and followers, can still enjoy this as I draw this storyline to a close and begin plans for the next round.**

 **Just in case you're curious as to what's coming, the next one is Chained Hearts: the chronicle of Chain of Memories (see what I did there?).**

 **Anyways, without further ado, I hope you guys enjoy!**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave me a review, but no flames.**

* * *

Chapter 21: The Battle to Seal the Door

When the gummi ship at last arrived, Luna and Sora looked around at the uncanny setting ahead of them. Upon arriving at the entry point, they could see what appeared to be small broken pieces of land scattered across a wide, watery yet stilled sea stretching for miles; up ahead appeared to be broken platforms lingering in the air, and the sky an unsettling brighter purple color as something swirled in the air miles from their view.

"Gawrsh, is that all that's left of the worlds taken by the Heartless?" Goofy asked.

"Those worlds will be restored if we beat Ansem, right?" Sora recapped to make sure.

"You betcha!" Donald assured him.

"That's what we were told," Luna recalled.

"Yeah, well, you guys remember what the kicker is, don't ya?" Medea reminded them.

Sora knew what she meant. "Yeah, if we do beat him and all these worlds become restored and disconnected, what's gonna happen to this place? And to us?"

That stumped the duck a little. "Well, uh…"

"This is a Heartless world, so maybe it'll just disappear," Goofy speculated.

That got Sora and Luna very terrified when they heard that, almost assuming that they wouldn't make it out alive.

"But no worries," the knight continued in reassurance, "Even if this place goes poof, our hearts ain't going nowhere. I'm sure we'll find our pals again. Yup, I just know that we will."

Sora nodded, his confidence boosted. "Yeah, you're right."

"We have to do this. We have a promise to keep," Luna agreed as she her hands clenched. "We have to get them back…I don't want to lose another friend."

* * *

However, given how they arrived at the world where Ansem has chosen to make his lodgings, the Heartless that thrive in the place would not let up on the party from the moment they stepped outside of the entry point. There were even more Heartless running amok, trying their hardest to make traversing across the surreal world a lot more difficult than it already was back when they visited previous worlds; but that didn't necessarily mean the creatures became a lot more difficult to deal with, though, as most of the Heartless that they had to deal with felt like little more than child's play – but even so, they had to continually stay on their toes when going up against the tougher foes, especially those occasional behemoths that tried to be a threat like its predecessor to no avail.

By the time they reached a new section of the uncanny world, they found themselves inside a crooked crevasse covered in jagged crystals and laser threads crisscrossing every which way along the walls, leading down a path further into the unknown.

"I wonder where that Ansem feller is." Goofy wondered.

"Dive into the most dangerous place, and we'll find him!" Donald suggested.

"But we shouldn't be too careless if we're going to do that," Luna warned cautiously, "There might be more Heartless that would try to stop us from progressing."

"Then we'll just have to stick together as much as we can," Sora agreed, "until we find where he's hiding."

"No promises that he'll just let us walk right through his front door, wherever the hell it might be," Medea said sarcastically.

Cautiously trekking through the creepy path down the ravine, the party managed to finally reach the bottom to find a wispy pool of light swirling around. Not left with other options but to continue, they stepped right into it – only to find themselves on a strange platform with what looked like a pillar of flame streaming in the center.

"What is this place?" Luna asked.

Mostly out of curiosity, Sora inspected the fire pillar and peeked through it to find something eerily familiar waiting on the other side if he had stepped through.

"Hey, this leads to one of the worlds we've already been to," Sora noticed when he stepped out of it, "Or at least a projection of one of the worlds."

"He probably wanted to impede us from following by setting those up," Medea retorted.

"But what if it's supposed to unlock the path further in?" Donald reasoned with her, "By severing the ties, we'll be able to keep going."

"Maybe…but it would be a lot of work," Luna partly agreed.

Fortunately for them, it wasn't too much work after all; given how much they had developed while exploring the worlds they'd seen, it was mostly a breeze working through the Heartless that they had previously fought against, and they were able to get past the obstacle in almost no time at all.

But after doing so, they found themselves in what looked to be a section of a laboratory, but the only thing that stood there was a machine with an inscription laid out in front of it:

 _'_ _Ones born of the heart and darkness, devoid of hearts, ravage all worlds and bring desolation._

 _Seize all hearts and consummate the great heart._

 _All hearts to be one, one heart to encompass all._

 _Realize the destiny: the realm of Kingdom Hearts. The great darkness sealed within the great heart._

 _Progeny of darkness, come back to the eternal darkness._

 _For the light of the heart shall unseal the path._

 _Seven hearts, one Keyhole, one key to the door._

 _The door of darkness, tied by two keys._

 _The door of darkness to seal the light._

 _None shall pass but the shadows, returning to the darkness._

 _Ones born of the heart and darkness, hunger for every heart until the dark door opens.'_

After reading this, Sora couldn't help shaking his head. "This guy has quite a one-track mind, doesn't he?"

"Ansem is wrong about the darkness," Luna agreed, "and about everyone in the worlds."

"Well, once we find him, we'll just beat his ass until he realizes who can use that thing he's obsessed with better than him," Medea opted to offer a consolation.

Once they left the laboratory terminus, they found themselves on another platform, but this time there was only a hole, left wide open for them to jump in; but there was something rather uncanny about it, what with the swirls of wind emerging from the hole and a sinister dark energy lurking deep down below.

"What d'ya suppose is down there?" Goofy wondered.

"Whatever it is, I don't like it," Donald admitted, unease creeping out.

"I sense something powerful down there," Luna said as a chill ran down her spine. "But…it's different from Ansem and Maleficent."

"Another Heartless?" Sora asked.

"I doubt it," Medea replied on Luna's behalf.

Jumping down the hole brought them into an eerie abyss, nothing surrounding them except for what felt like a blank nightly sky with vaporous clouds swirling around the area. At first glance, they could make out what appeared to be nothing more than an oddly shaped mountain…that is, until it 'opened up' to reveal that it was actually a colossal, black horned creature with giant bat-like wings that spread out wide enough to almost reach the boundaries of the grounds. Needless to say, it was not impressed to find intruders in its domain.

"What is that?!" Sora exclaimed in shock.

"I don't know. I've never seen such a gigantic creature like that," Luna replied, eyes widened at the terrifying sight.

"Yeah, well, get ready," Medea interrupted them as she readied her claws, "because this monster's not gonna let us off that easily."

And she certainly wasn't kidding about that, because the devilish creature attacked them first with a fire breath that could give the witch a run for her money, forcing them to stay on the move until they found an opening. Sora, Goofy, and Medea took the initial charge and took on the demon head-on while Luna and Donald hung back a little to keep their defenses up before trying to pelt it with magic and Shadow Hands in tandem with their comrades' attacks.

But the demon had a few tricks up its sleeves to keep the party from gaining too many advantages: when the more physical fighters of the team got too close too much, it would summon a pillar of flame around it for protection; if that wasn't bad enough, sometimes it would summon homing wisps of fire to pursue all of them or use its mighty wings to send a gust of gales at them to throw off their balance in the air.

"Wow, that thing really hates us," Sora said with sarcasm as he recovered from the gales.

"I don't want to know why," Luna admitted as a Hand rose to hold her firmly.

It took a lot of work on everyone's part, but when they finally vanquished the fiend that tried to destroy the intruders, they found that the pit he made his domain in revealed a pathway further down into the dark realm.

"That's our ticket down," Medea commented.

"Let's hurry, and finish the job!" Donald urged as he started to fly down.

After traversing down the pit, the party found themselves in another location – but this time, they ended up meeting with more Heartless out to try and stop them from coming any closer. Inside that cramped space, hordes of the creatures tried to make a last ditch effort to hinder them and take them out; but thanks to the combined efforts of everyone involved, they successfully opened up another pathway into the realm to find themselves face-to-face with a door that would lead them somewhere…but no one knows where it would take them from this point on.

"Looks like we're almost there," Goofy said.

Sora and Luna started looking around as they neared the door, curious and confused.

"What's wrong?" Donald asked, concerned for them.

"Do you guys hear something?" Sora asked as he looked around more.

"I hear it, too," Luna said as she stopped. "Listen…"

 _Careful. This is the last haven you'll find here. Beyond, there is no light to protect you. But don't be afraid. Your heart is the mightiest weapons of all. Remember, you are the one who will open the door to the light._

Goofy and Donald tried to listen, but they didn't notice a thing.

"I don't hear anything," Donald answered.

Medea had something to say, though. "I heard it, alright. Hard to tell whether it was a dude or a lady, though."

Sora was baffled at this. "Strange…That voice was so familiar. Maybe it's just my imagination."

Luna was about to think that herself, but when Sora opened the door and they started to pass through it, she heard the voice again…but this time it was addressed to her.

 _Be strong, child of the shadows. Though your adversary is no different from you in power, only you know how to use it to aid the light._

"Something wrong, Luna?" Medea asked her.

"I heard it again…" Luna replied slowly. "I think someone is trying to give assurance."

"Who knows? But we'll find out once we find that creep," her guardian shrugged as she kept moving.

When they all passed through the door, a bright light momentarily blinded them as they stepped out…to find themselves on a sandy beach surrounded by ocean water, with trees behind them and wooden planks and ramps leading to different levels of ground. Sora and Luna were shocked upon recognizing the familiar landmarks around them.

"Is this…Is this my island?" Sora gasped, dumbfounded at the sight.

"Sora…it's the island we were on," Luna confirmed in shock, "That night, when the darkness came, and swallowed it all."

Medea looked around warily. "I don't like the looks of this. Ansem's gotta be around here somewhere, I'm sure of it."

"Let's look around," Donald suggested to them, "starting with that opening up there."

That sounded like a good place to start, if only to confirm whether they really were on the island or it was just an illusion. But not long after all of them were about to step through the tunnel leading to what was the Secret Place, Ansem's voice could be heard.

"This world has been connected."

Goofy turned around to watch the islet disappear from sight, startling him. "What was that?"

"Tied to the darkness…soon to be completely eclipsed."

All around them, the trees started to vanish from where they normally stood, and then the blue ocean turned into an eerie purple color.

"There is so much to learn…You understand so little."

A rumbling sound could be heard around them, sending the party on edge for whatever trouble might be coming.

"A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing."

When the rumbling subsided, the party jolted in horror at the changes around the island; dark branches were sprouting from where the trees should've been and the shores looked ready to completely crack apart at any moment. But what Sora and Luna saw made them uneasy: a familiar form of their friend, in the dark armor he was seen wearing when they had confronted twice before. But was it really him?

"Sora…?" Luna couldn't form the question she wanted to.

"C'mon, Luna, we'd better get down there," Sora urged her as he started to jump down.

As the two of them hurried ahead to investigate, they heard Ansem's voice again. "Take a look at this tiny place. To the heart seeking freedom this island is a prison surrounded by water. And so this boy sought out to escape from his prison. He sought a way to cross over into other worlds. And he opened his heart to darkness."

On alert, Sora and Luna watched as 'Riku' slowly turned around – only to change from the boy they knew into that of the hateful man Ansem, the monster responsible for their friend's suffering.

"Riku!" Sora tried to call out.

"No…!" Luna choked from horror.

"Don't bother. Your voices can no longer reach him where he is," Ansem scoffed at their attempts. "His heart belongs again to darkness. All worlds began in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it, it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature." He suddenly reappeared behind the party, startling them. "In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came. You see, darkness is the heart's true essence."

"That's not true! The heart may be weak," Sora objected boldly, calling him out on his ranting. "And sometimes it may even give in. But I've learned that deep down, there's a light that never goes out!"

Ansem was unimpressed at this. "So, you've come this far and still you understand nothing. Every light must fade, every heart return to darkness!"

"Oh, shut up, old man! You've been hiding in the shadows for too long!" Medea snapped at him, readying her claws for attack.

"You give Riku back to me…or I will make you wish you never emerged from the darkness you obsess over so much!" Luna threatened him as she summoned her Shadow Hands, eager to punish the man who haunted her.

If dealing with Maleficent was annoying enough, the battle against Ansem was on the level of irritating. Aside from the energy projectiles he would shoot out, his guardian would persistently protect him from any direct assaults that most of the party would attempt to do against him – a huge problem on Sora and Goofy's part. Only Medea had the strength to at least try to throw off the Heartless Guardian's defenses for a brief period of time, and even then the defenses were tough to push through.

"Is that all you can do against me?" Ansem mocked them smugly. "You're ignorant fools, all of you."

"Oh, yeah? Well, Luna and I have been through enough hell to know your mentality is screwed as hell!" Medea rebuked harshly as she wrestled the Guardian. "And don't spew crap about us having darkness in our hearts, because I'll just tell you again that we don't follow your twisted expectations!"

"Yeah, and that gives you no right to speak the same to us!" Sora agreed as he charged forward.

As the fight went on, they could tell that Ansem is changing his tune when he threw up an electrical barrier that messed up their frontal attack and would sometimes use gravity spells to force them on the ground, hindering their attempts to jump at him for a brief moment.

Luna, being the Shadow Mage that she is, noticed that her Hands' attempts to lay a hand on Ansem would cause the Guardian to swipe at each tendril that came close and he didn't hesitate to close the distance between them when he unleashed the fiend against her directly. Donald tries to keep it away with his magic until Sora or Medea could do something about it, but even then it was no cakewalk multitasking against their adversary.

"Whatever happened to that frightened child who would cower when left alone?" Ansem could be heard taunting the girl. "After nine years of hiding, you should still fear me."

Luna wasn't taking the bait. "I was afraid…and there are things I still things I still fear. But in your case, you only made me angry because you endangered another person I cared about! I will get Riku back, even if it means having to destroy you to do that!"

"And I'm gonna make sure that we do get Riku back, together!" Sora declared.

After taking and dealing a lot of punishment in the fight, it seemed like Ansem had vanished – but they knew better than to assume it's already over. More so since, after he had seemingly vanished, quakes were felt as the island suddenly started to split apart, leaving a wide open hole with the same substance seen throughout their traversal through the lair of the Heartless wide open to enter. Ansem was waiting in there, daring them to try and give pursuit…most likely to get even with them for resisting him.

However, as they gave chase to Ansem, it was abruptly discovered that Goofy and Donald had – once again – been blocked off by an invisible barrier not long after Sora and the girls have jumped right into the makeshift arena. It didn't help in the slightest that the three were greeted by a familiar adversary from some time before…the Darkside.

"Oh, please, is that the best he can throw at us?" Medea asked sarcastically.

"Sora, you remember what we did when we first fought that monster?" Luna checked to make certain.

"Yep. Just like last time," Sora replied confidently, "This'll be easy!"

True to their suspicions, the fight against Darkside was a lot easier than the first time they fought it personally; after all they've gone through, it was a walk in the park to take it down without having to worry about the little spawns it tried to unleashed.

But then, Ansem returned to the fray and he was not going to make this easy for them. Aside from the usual tricks he pulled on them during their first round with him, he also took liberties to send his Guardian forth to try and detain one of them in order to prevent them from attacking him any more than they already have.

"Get off!" Sora demanded as he forced it off him one time.

But then things got more hectic when Ansem had his Guardian strike at them from below their feet, forcing the party to stay on the move and not get caught within its radius. Sora didn't have too much trouble staying on the move thanks to his mobility advantage, but Luna was forced to either go on the defensive with her Shadow Hands or have Medea counter its approach from above so as to prevent a sneak attack from hindering her effectively.

After a hard-fought battle, just when it seemed like they were done with him, the environment suddenly changed around them…

.

.

.

.

…And the whole party found themselves floating in the midst of a vast, seemingly endless dark abyss with no means of escape and nowhere else to go. But if that's the case, then where was Ansem? And for that matter, how are they going to get out of this one?

"What's this?" Doanld wanted to know.

"Behold the endless abyss! Within it lies the heart of all worlds: Kingdom Hearts!" Ansem boasted from the shadows. "Look as hard as you are able. You'll not find even the smallest glimmer of light. From the dark depths are all hearts born. Even yours. Darkness conquers all worlds!"

When everyone turned around, they were utterly stunned to find Ansem – but not in the way that they had expected. Although he was undoubtedly there, he was attached to what looked like an enormous, grotesquely biological airship with a hideous face at the front of the vessel, the core of the being protected by a barrier that seemed to be impenetrable; at the top is what almost looked like Ansem's Guardian, but it had been reformed as part of the ship (and its level of grotesque cranked up to eleven in its appearance) and is partly attached to Ansem himself via what looked to be chords fixed to his back.

Just when it couldn't get any worse, a dark vortex suddenly appeared and started sucking in Donald, Goofy, and Medea, preventing them from helping their comrades. Sora and Luna, on the other hand, were forcefully dropped from where they were standing in suspension, about to fall straight into the abyss with no chances on recovery.

But just when it seemed like they were done for, they each heard a voice familiar only to them…

Sora heard Riku's voice calling him out: _"Giving up already? C'mon, Sora. I thought you and Luna were stronger than that."_

Luna, however, heard the voice of her lost brother urging her: _"You have to stand up, Luna. You have the shadows as your weapons, remember?"_

A new confidence brimming through every fiber of their being, the two immediately recovered their footing as Sora flew high up while Luna summoned a Shadow Hand from the dark and used it to elevate back up to her friend's level. They felt ready to finally put a stop to Ansem once and for all.

"Sora, we have to get out friends back," Luna suggested urgently, "We need all the help we can get."

"I think I know how we can do that," Sora had an idea, "but I'm gonna need your help on this."

Initially, Sora took the charge directly, in which Ansem noticed what he was doing and started to attack him with his double-bladed staff; to make the matter more annoying, he had laser rays sent out to try and knock him out of the sky. Unbeknownst to him, though, he didn't realize that this was a gambit Sora used so that Luna can use her Shadow Hands to block off the beams that shot out towards him, which she used to full effectiveness so that Sora can continue the assault without too much harm sent his way.

But it didn't take long for Ansem to realize what was going on, and he was irritated to know that he was being thwarted like that.

"You reckless child! How can you still fight as you are, while trapped in the abyss?" he demanded angrily, directing his rage at her.

Luna just looked at him like he's an idiot. "I thought you knew. I'm a Shadow Mage. I use the shadows as my weapons. Does it matter where I can use it?"

Thanks to the distraction, this allowed Sora to land a powerful blow against him, forcing him to retreat into a cocoon protected by the emblem of the Heartless. But upon his retreat, a dark vortex formed nearby the barrier protecting the hideous core of the airship; this was their only chance for the two to find their partners and retrieve them in order to turn the tides in their favor once and for all. Upon entering, the first partner they found in the middle of the dark was Luna's Shadow Guardian, fighting off the hordes of Heartless by herself.

"What took you two so damn long?" Medea demanded to know.

Sora ignored her irritation. "Nice to see you, too, Medea. Let's hurry and fight our way out so we can get Donald and Goofy."

"We'd better be quick about it if we want them back," Luna added as she braced herself.

Working together, Sora and Luna helped Medea clear out the hordes of Heartless from the area until the force that kept the Shadow Guardian trapped inside finally dispersed, allowing them to escape out and return to the monstrous airship. Now, what to do to reach the rest of their friends…

The sound of something shooting out towards them answered that question, coming from the airship's creepy tendrils.

"I guess that jackass doesn't want us to win," Medea growled in frustration.

"Yeah, well, he's got another thing coming," Sora said as he moved ahead. "We're not gonna let that freaky thing stop us!"

"I agree. Let's keep going," Luna agreed wholeheartedly.

With Medea's assistance on their plate, the next thing they had to deal with is the extra defenses Ansem set up when he formed into that giant monster vessel – particularly the small tendril-like critters that acted like the artillery units. Granted, they didn't have to destroy all of the ones they could reach, but they weren't to take any chances of those annoying pests continuing to hinder their battle. When enough of them were demolished by their teamed effort, another dark portal formed near the airship – which meant that another one of their friends is in there, in need of help getting out of there. And lo and behold, they were in the darkness again to find Goofy.

"Sora! Luna! You made it!" Goofy cheered, happy to see them.

"Goofy, are you okay?" Luna asked.

"Sorry we're late," Sora apologized, "We were a little busy."

Now that Goofy is back in the team, the four worked their way through the hordes the knight was dealing with until they were thrown back out to find themselves facing off against the giant, grotesque face in front of the malicious vessel. And, boy, did somebody have something to say about it…

"That's a face only a Heartless fanboy could ever love," Medea said sarcastically.

"Watch out, you guys!" Sora warned, "It's not gonna make things easy for us."

And guess what? It certainly didn't. Despite being only a gigantic face for a ship, it certainly had a few tricks hidden somewhere; not only did it have its own little artillery to support it from below, but the fiend had a tendency to shoot out energy projectiles from above and bursts of magic energy, trying to gun them down at every opportunity.

"Medea, see if you can get rid of the tendrils down below," Luna ordered. "Sora and I will deal with that hideous décor at the top."

"You got it!" Medea agreed as she flew down to divert attention.

Since size doesn't mean there's a huge advantage, Sora and Luna were able to keep themselves on the move as they beat against the giant face with the combined force of the keyblade and the Shadow Hands whilst avoiding the projectiles fired at them. At the same time, Medea had just wrapped up clearing the area below when the face, upon its defeat, opened its mouth to reveal another dark portal – meaning that one more partner needs a rescue, and upon entering, it's no surprise that the last comrade they located was Donald.

"What kept you guys?" Donald wanted to know.

"We had to round up the others," Luna explained simply.

"We can debate about pacing once we deal with these cretins," Medea interrupted urgently.

Now that everyone is back together again – for real – they quickly wiped the floor with the Heartless in the area until they were forced out into the open again, causing the face of the vessel to explode, leaving nothing left but the body of the ship. Now all that needed to be done is to force Ansem out of hiding. But how are they going to do that…?

"Is that creep still cowering behind his shield?" Medea groaned irritably.

"How are we gonna force him out?" Donald asked.

But then Luna noticed something on the ship. "Look over there!"

Right where Luna was pointing, everyone watched as the barriers that protected the core of the vessel dissipated, fully exposing the central part of the monstrous airship. That could only mean that it's the one key component stabilizing the ship while in midflight.

That's when Sora had an idea. "Here's the plan: take out the core, and deal with anything else that's left on that freaky craft!"

"Great! Once we're done, let's show that Ansem freak we'll be the ones kicking him out of the park!" Medea said, eager to get even.

At this point, they've gotten used to the fact that as intimidating and freaky as the ship is to see, it's rather pathetic that Ansem never thought about setting up better defenses for his intended transport. And it really didn't help in the slightest that once everyone got back together, the team successfully coordinated their battle tactics and completely destroyed both the remaining artillery defenses around the central region and the core of the vessel itself like they were tearing through wet paper.

But the good news is, with everything on the vessel out of commission, the protective barrier that Ansem hid himself behind dispelled, forcing him to leave the cocoon and meet his adversaries again – and boy, he got a shock when he found that the party had come back together after all the trouble he went through to separate them.

"Hello again, sir," Luna deadpanned, not waiting for an answer. "Did you enjoy your nap?"

"Nice one," Donald said, liking that comment.

From there on in, the final battle against Ansem proved to be both a little easier with the entire team back together and a little more challenging because he would stop at nothing until the opposition is gone for good. He pretty much used the same bladed staff attacks and annoying lasers against them like he did when it was just Sora and Luna, but this time he has another trick up his sleeve: with the Guardian behind him, energy was charged up by the creature itself, which in turn sent out bunches of energy projectiles right at them in an attempt to pick them off all at once.

Thankfully, Donald made sure the party was kept alive when it came to the annoying lasers and the charge attack being used against them; in the meantime, Sora, Goofy and Medea took the lead by assaulting both master and fiend simultaneously head-on while Luna switched between her physical strikes and her magic to keep Ansem's attacks at bay until an opening can be found on him.

Before long, from the moment both Keyblade wielder and Shadow Mage successfully landed the finishing blow on him, the fiendish airship began to sputter and explode from its inability to sustain itself after taking brutal beatings from all over the place. In no time at all, Ansem was also caught in the explosion, until there was nothing left of the monstrous vessel that would've been unleashed if given the chance.

Sora took a moment to catch his breath. "Well, guess that takes care of him…"

"Sora! Look over there!" Luna called out abruptly.

Turning to Luna, he followed where her finger was pointing at and – to the surprise of everyone else – they saw from afar a giant white door standing tall and proud in the middle of the dark abyss. Is that the door to Kingdom Hearts that Ansem was talking about? If that's the case, then that means there's just one last thing to do…

"C'mon, we gotta get to the door!" Goofy exclaimed.

"Yeah, before we get into any more trouble than we already did," Sora agreed.

But before they can proceed to the door, they were greeted once more by Ansem yet again; but even though he is back to his normal appearance from their first meeting with him, it was easily noticeable that he took quite a beating from all of them, and his struggling to keep afloat in midair is a sure sign is a sure sign that he's practically on his last legs.

Medea grew irritated at this. "Seriously?! Don't you know when to quit?"

"It is futile. The Keyblade alone cannot seal the door to darkness," Ansem declared, ignoring her. He turned towards the door as though appealing to it. "Kingdom Hearts! Fill me with the power of darkness…"

Everybody turned to watch the door slowly open itself, causing mists of black to start leaking out of the cracks.

But Ansem wouldn't let up on his obsession. "Supreme darkness…"

"Oh, shut up! Someone's gonna get bored of your repetition if you keep this up!" Medea groaned angrily.

"You're wrong. I know now, without a doubt," Sora objected to him, "Kingdom Hearts…is light!"

Then, true to Sora's word, a flash of light suddenly emerged from the door, bathing the vicinity in a bright, warming glow that was rather difficult to keep a focus on for too long. For Ansem, he was not only stunned to find the light blinding his sight, but he felt his remaining strength rapidly slipping away from him as he is forced to disappear in the face of the shining force that is breaking him into oblivion.

"Wha…Light…" He could barely squeeze the words out. "But why…"

"It is simple: you focused on one element for too long," Luna answered, "and it made you blind to the potential of its opposite. You will never understand that, because you are not like me."

Within the increasing brightness, Ansem finally vanished, leaving no trace of him. Once the flash at last subsided, this gave the party the chance to hurry down there and close the door before the already troublesome situation got any worse.

"Come on!" Sora called as he started pushing.

Donald and Goofy began to heave the left door while Sora teamed up with Medea to move the other door; Luna, using her Shadow Hands, commanded them to provide more force against the door in order to try and hasten the progress. But when Goofy peeked inside to see if there are any problems, he suddenly became shocked.

"Stop staring and keep pushing!" Donald demanded.

But when the duck checked to see what the matter was, he was horrified to find what the problem actually was.

"The Heartless?!" they both cried out in panic.

Medea noticed this, too, and started to push harder. "Then let's hurry the hell up and shut this damn door already!"

Unfortunately, Sora and Luna found themselves struggling to keep up as they the task much too difficult to handle on their own.

"I can't…" Sora gasped in exhaustion.

"We need help…" Luna began to cry. "It's not enough…"

But then, just when it seemed things were not going to proceed as they should, another hand reached out and started to pull from the other side of the door.

"Don't give up! Come on, you two! Together, we can do it!"

Immediately, Sora and Luna shifted their gaze to find Riku right there, helping them seal the door. He is alive after all!

Now Sora was more determined than ever. "Okay!"

With his help, progress on the door proved to be much easier for them; but there was still the matter of the Heartless lurking right behind it. In fact, it almost seemed like two giant Heartless were about to attack Riku, but then…

Without warning, both of them were swiftly eliminated without a problem. Curious as to what was going on, Donald and Goofy peeked inside once more and – to their surprise – they noticed from a distance a familiar silhouette of a small, mouse-like figure atop the creepy platforms standing on the other side.

"Your Majesty!" they cried out in joy.

It was King Mickey, without a shadow of a doubt. He pulled out a keyblade of his own, ready to use it when needed to.

"Now, Sora, Luna! Let's close this door for good!" he called out from afar.

"Let's close it, quick!" Donald ordered as he resumed his business.

"But…" Sora was about to protest.

"What about…" Luna had trouble forming the words.

"Don't worry. There will always be a door to the light," Mickey reassured them, letting them know that things will be okay.

But Medea had other ideas at the moment. "Yo, Luna! If you wanna talk with your boyfriend, it's now or never! Hurry, before this damn door is closed for good!"

Initially stunned at Medea's brazen demands, Luna quickly realized what she meant: this is her only chance to speak with Riku again before they cut off the Heartless from breaking through the door. But why would her Guardian let her do this now?

"Medea…why?" she asked in confusion.

"What, do you think I can't push this thing on my own?" her guardian insisted strongly, "Go on! I can manage by myself over here! Now get crackin' already!"

Hastily dispelling her Shadow Hands, Luna hurried as close to the cracks as she could while Medea helped Sora keep up the pace; not wanting to miss her last chance to see him, she used a smaller Hand to reach out towards Riku and get his attention.

"Riku! I'm so sorry about this," Luna called out to him, "I should've told you before…about what happened before the island was lost. That man – who I am sure was Ansem – I think he figured out I was hiding amongst you guys for nine whole years. If I had only told you what I just witnessed, none of this would've happened to you."

Riku, hearing her, held out a hand to her and held her real hand tightly in comfort. "It's okay, Luna. It's my fault for not listening to you. You warned me about how you lost your brother and old friends of yours years ago, and warned me of what horrors you witnessed that broke you. You warned me…and I didn't take you seriously! I almost lost you the moment he took control of my body, and tried to get rid of you and Kairi. I couldn't…I just couldn't let that happen!"

Luna couldn't help starting to cry after hearing all of this; now she understood why Riku intervened when Ansem threatened her and Kairi's life. He couldn't bear the thought of losing either one of them after having grown up with them all those years ago. Worse still, he must've realized who was really haunting his beloved's memory even after she had successfully recovered from her mental breakdown. And now, here he is, saved from being forever lost and making his first step into repenting for the wrongs he brought upon his cherished friends after being separated for so long. But does he really mean to let himself be trapped on the other side for the greater good?

It distressed her to be separated from him. "Will I…Will I ever be able to find you again, Riku? Once this door closes…"

A gentle touch on her cheek spoke volumes on what he knew.

But Riku gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine, Luna. Don't worry about me. I'll find a way back to you, I promise."

"Luna! We almost got it closed!" Medea shouted across from her. "Let's wrap this up!"

She quickly knew what this meant: the door is about to close and now she must part from Riku for a while. Left with no other choice, she backed away from the cracks and let her friends continue their job to complete the mission. As it came closer to being shut, she and Sora were able to catch one last glimpse of their friend as he looked at him confidently despite knowing that it'll be a long while before they can reunite him again.

"Sora, take care of her," Riku said towards Sora, the latter knowing he meant Kairi. He then looked to Luna. "I'll come back to you. You'll see."

Finally, with the combined efforts on both sides, the door was at last sealed shut with no chance for the Heartless to leak out. Sora moved back, and raised his Keyblade into the air as a light energy formed onto the tip of the blade. Luna watched as enormous streams of light flowed forth from the bottom of the door and poured out into the open, meaning that Mickey must be using his own keyblade to lock it from the other side in order to complete the seal. Then, within mere moments, the door itself disintegrated until there was nothing left of it except for the small path that once led to the door to Kingdom Hearts itself.

It hurt Luna to know that after all the perils and adventures they've been through, they haven't been able to bring all their friends back together so they could go back home to the islands together. How were they going to explain to Kairi about this?

But then Sora put a hand to her shoulder, getting her attention and assuring her that everything will be okay.

"We'll see him again. Just you wait," Sora consoled her, "One day, you'll be the first to run up to Riku and welcome him back like he was only gone yesterday."

Luna shook her head and let out a little giggle at that. "Oh, Sora…you know I have to wait for a sign."

"Hey, what the hell is Kairi doing here?" Medea interrupted them as she looked out a certain direction.

Both turned around in confusion at what she meant – until the both of them saw Kairi at the end of the pathway behind them, baffled as to what she was doing here in the first place. Without hesitation, Sora and Luna hurried over to her in hopes of catching up to her before anything else happened after all the trouble they've gone through. But the small traces of sand under her feet was a sure sign that the restoration is about to begin, and they don't have much before she is separated from them as well.

"Kairi!" Sora shouted as Luna called out, "Sis?"

Their voices caught Kairi's attention as she saw them hurry to catch up to her, but it was proving difficult with the sand shifting beneath her.

"Sora! Luna!" she called out to them.

The ground shook underneath her as she moved further and further away from the two of them, with Sora barely able to grip her fingers as Luna struggled to reach out to her.

"Kairi, remember what you said before?" Sora asked her, "I'm always with you, too. I'll come back to you. I promise!"

"Sis, if you see Hiroshi and Yoko again," Luna requested hurriedly, "please let them know that I'll be alright…and that I miss them!"

Kairi realized at this point that they wouldn't be able to return together anytime soon, but a strong faith surged through her as she started losing her reach.

"I know you will!" she called out to them, "And I'll let them know you'll be fine!"

At last, Sora lost his grip on her and Luna lost her only chance to hold her foster sister again for a long while. As heartbreaking as it was, at least it gave them some comfort knowing that Kairi is safe from harm and that the worlds are finally coming back together after all the hell that the monstrous Ansem had raised ever since the Heartless invaded the realms. The only question that remains: what will it now take to return home again, now that the door is sealed shut?


	23. Epilogue 1: A New Mission

**Well, here's the first epilogue for now. I'll get the others up and running as soon as I get the chance.**

 **I apologize if this one's a helluva lot shorter than most epilogues I've ever written, but I had no idea what else to add in there, you see. I mean, it's just our heroes trying to figure out what to do now but then are lead on by the king's dog, which is meant to foreshadow that their adventures is far from over and that Castle Oblivion is right around the corner.**

 **But I'll admit, I had fun adjusting the dialogue in it, with what little I had to work in for a little more giggles.**

 **That being said, I hope you enjoy this anyways.**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave me a review, but flames are unacceptable.**

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Epilogue 1: A New Mission

It was rather strange where the party found themselves. One moment, they were inside the realm of darkness as it began to disappear after the defeat of Ansem, and now they are in an unfamiliar territory surrounded by green trees and grass, with a long winding path that stretches out seemingly endlessly. Not to mention, it is a rather uncannily peaceful environment with birds chirping in the distance, even though they haven't seen any.

Side by side, Sora and Luna walked along the road alongside a now normally dressed Donald and Goofy with Medea trailing along behind while attached to her master's shadow. They have no idea how long they've been walking down the path, nor do they know what could be beyond the never-ending path waiting for them, if at all.

But Donald had another question on his mind. "Well, now what do we do?"

"We've gotta find Riku and King Mickey," Sora replied.

"But, uh, where do we start lookin' for that there door to the light?" Goofy wondered.

"What I'd like to know is how the hell long are we gonna continue walking down this damn road," Medea complained.

"For that matter, how will we know whether we'd be able to find them?" Luna wondered, a little worried on their lack of progress.

Those were all very good questions to ask…but unfortunately for all them, none of them have an answer to any of their own questions. All of them stopped and sighed in dismay at their lack of a solution, shaking their heads in displeasure.

Now what are they gonna do?

But then, the sound of a dog barking abruptly caught their attention, forcing all of them to look up to spot a yellow dog with black ears and tail trotting in front of them with something in its mouth.

Luna, being who she is, couldn't resist stepping over for a closer look. "Oh, hello there, doggie. Are you lost?"

Donald seemed to recognize the canine. "Pluto?"

Medea turned to the duck in confusion. "Ya know this mutt?"

"Hey, Pluto. Where've you been?" Goofy asked.

But upon closer inspection, the boys – particularly Donald and Goofy – realized that the white thing Pluto was carrying in his mouth was not just a paper. It was an envelope – and it bore the familiar shape of a mouse head, just like King Mickey's! Could this possibly mean that he managed to send a message to them?

"Gawrsh, that's the king's royal seal!" Goofy deduced quickly.

Luna was taken aback at that. "Is it? Then how did this cute dog get ahold of it?"

"Hey, have you seen King Mickey?" Sora asked the dog, hoping to appeal to him.

Pluto only stared at Sora for a moment, then looked over to a curious Luna, but then suddenly turned around and started to run off with the envelope, convincing them to give chase.

Medea groaned at this. "Great. The dog wants us to play 'tag' with it."

Luna straightened up and started running ahead of the group. "Wait! Please, wait! We have to know whether it's from Mickey."

Not long after Luna started to run off with Medea following close behind her from her shadow, Sora, Donald and Goofy immediately chased after them down the road with more vigor than they did earlier. Now they have reason to keep going despite all the odds stacked heavily against them. They have their other friends to find and come back home with, and it's certain that they're out there, searching for a way to return to the realm of light after the ordeals of the Heartless during the reign of terror under Ansem's machinations.

What awaits them just beyond the road beyond their line of sight? Will they be able to find their friends? None of them know for sure what waits for them now, but come what may, they'll find Riku and King Mickey and – once they know they've survived the realm of darkness, they'll come home to their loved ones waiting for them.


	24. Epilogue 2: A Covert Investigation

**Guess who's going to be joining in the next story?**

 **Thinking back on the few appearances I made with this character, I thought I'd be fair and introduce her actual Shadow Guardian.**

 **Plus, this is yet another instance of foreshadowing as to what's to come in the CoM region. Besides, I do plan to attempt to tackle both sides of the spectrum. No promises that I'll write all the world sequences on the Sora side, though. Also, hasn't anyone noticed that on Riku's side of the adventure, he just got through the world, fought the boss, and then left? Man, that's gotta be boring. If anybody wants a few detailed explorations in select worlds on Riku's side, kindly let me know and give me suggestions on which ones I could do.**

 **I was just thinking that while I do present in details a select few worlds on Sora's side of the spectrum, give Riku a few to play around on. How about it, readers? You game?**

 **Anyways, without further ado, enjoy!**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave me a review, but flames are unacceptable.**

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Epilogue 2: A Covert Investigation

Upon arriving at what should've once been the Land of Departure, the new visitor couldn't contain a small gasp of shock at the sight of the now unfamiliar landscape around her.

She could see that instead of a regal, magnificent castle surrounded by majestic mountain peaks and rushes of little rivers nestled by lush greens at the feet of the residents that would've lived there, it is now replaced by a barren stone wasteland with an unreadable darkness blanketing the skies and a castle with several towers sticking out every which way and stained glass windows being the only remarkable sight amidst the dizzying architecture. Though a path stretched out behind her, there was no telling where it would lead her, and she wouldn't dare to risk venturing down there without knowing what to expect.

It pained her to come here to find her old friend, Eraqus, no longer guarding the place and her children no longer living there in peace. If only she hadn't been a coward…then just maybe she could've…

She shook those thoughts from her head, knowing that she must focus on here and now for the time being.

Throughout the nine years after learning that her daughter escaped to Destiny Islands, she had been traveling across the roads of her own creation, investigating the fate of the world of an old acquaintance of hers and of what horrors have crossed into other worlds following the infestation of the Heartless.

When she arrived at what used to be Radiant Garden, she was dismayed to find that the once beautiful, flower-filled world was reduced to nothing but an empty, hollow shell of what it used to be. Worse still, from the moment she set foot in its ruins, she quickly detected sinister forces roaming about inside the empty halls; not wanting to stick around at the risk of her life, she immediately left the place and traversed through the roads to every world she could find – but everywhere she went, the Heartless were not too far behind, invading the heart of each world and destroying it until it was lost into the abyss of darkness. No matter what she tried to do to rescue the poor inhabitants, she was powerless to completely stop the tidal wave of Heartless that spread across the roads and the worlds connected to them. All she could do was bear witness to the horrors that spread like a plaque.

Now, here she is, standing in the presence of a fallen world that has changed drastically since she was last there. However, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she is not the only living being in the vicinity of the barren world; perhaps Yen Sid was right to warn her to proceed cautiously during her travels.

 _'_ _If anyone other than those you used to know learn that you are Shadow Mage like your daughter, there is the possibility that you will be perceived as a threat as well.'_

She knew that he was right about it. From outside the castle, she could barely sense multiple auras scattered around the inside of the castle halls. She had no idea who – or what – they are, but she doesn't want to take chances at getting caught at the front door.

"If I went in there directly, there is no knowing who will be disinclined to extend an invitation to me," she said to herself, "I'll have to find another way inside, somewhere I would be much harder to detect for the time being." She raised her hand to her side as she beckoned out in the open. "Come and guide my way, Tenebrae."

After she made her call, her shadow stretched out to her side and opened up to reveal a humanoid being slightly taller than she, none other than her own personal Shadow Guardian. Bearing the likeness of a human woman, Tenebrae is lanky in physique, presented with unsettling pale white skin and unnaturally long, stringy gray hair that reached past where the feet would've been; the guardian wore a purple plunge-cut dress that flowed all the way to the ground yet hugged against her body and long sleeves that completely covered her hands, and a high collared cloak made of black feathers that almost completely concealed the arms from full view, with the top half of her face entirely concealed by a black feathered mask.

Fluidly, Tenebrae turned to her master and answered, _"Three auras roam from above, and three linger below the rest. Proceed inside from the very bottom, Lady Noir, and none of them will know where you have entered."_

That answered it for Noir; if the current residents of the castle are potentially dangerous, it would be a much smarter plan to start her investigations from the lowest points where she cannot be found. Though she had no idea how long that will last, she knew that it was her only chance to inspect the castle and find the answers as to what changes transpired without her knowledge. If possible, perhaps she can find out what activities are going on from the inside.

"Very well, then. Let us proceed into the castle, but with the utmost caution," Noir agreed cautiously. "Kindly show me the way in, and we will enter from there before anyone knows we were out here."

With Tenebrae's power, a shadowy portal formed from the ground, allowing both Mage and Guardian to carefully enter into the shadows and cross through unseen. The only thing Noir had to worry about is what awaits her the moment she infiltrates the castle.

Though, for a moment, she could've sworn that she felt someone's eyes watching somewhere within the vicinity of the barren land – or near the castle, perhaps. But she shook off her fears as she hurried into the portal to continue her personal mission, not knowing what she will find as soon as she enters the inside of the suspicious castle…


	25. Epilogue 3: Lure of Reunion

**And here is the last one to keep you guys on edge for the next story. Let the curiosity commence...**

 **Now we have finally concluded the story of Tainted Hearts.**

 **I'd like to thank those who've been following me and favorite-ing me, hope you liked what I've brought out. I'd like to thanks reviewers Spirit of writing, blueorchid7, Taeniaea, Kairi4Ever15, TheFoolishDreamer, GradGirl2010, and Mackblade for your awesome reviews and your feedback and ideas you offered; I'd also like to thanks every guest reviewers who gave me awesome and loving reviews whenever they had the opportunity, thanks so much for expressing your loves.**

 **As you already know, the next story coming up is the Chain of Memories storyline, which will be dubbed Chained Hearts. I'll probably get the first chapters up either during the Easter weekend or another weekend, so until I've posted something, keep an eye out for me. ;)**

 **Also, I might consider posting other fics when I have the chance. What kind, I can't say. We'll wait and see.**

 **Until next time, thanks for joining me and putting up with me and my occasional unintentional hiatuses (so sorry about those, btw).**

 **I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.**

 **Read, leave a review, but flames are unacceptable.**

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Epilogue 3: Lure of Reunion

Somewhere inside the castle, a lone, male human figure concealed under a black hooded coat inspected the hallway he passed through, as though searching for the right chamber to enter in. Then, he approached one door and opened it widely to partially illuminate an otherwise dark room that bears no light whatsoever compared to outside. A foolish person would think there is nobody inside the chamber, but concealed within the shadows is a giant cage hidden away in a lonely corner holding a prisoner also kept in the shadows lest the wrong eyes discover the secret locked away.

"Well, now. After all the trouble Vexen went through to create a doppelganger of a person described from the Superior's vague memories," the hooded man spoke with a soft yet venomous eloquence, "it seems that you have a purpose after all. Visitors will be coming pretty soon, and one of them is someone I'm certain you've heard mention about since you first arrived into the world."

From the shadows, the hidden prisoner shifted from inside the cage as brown eyes emerged from the darkness and glared daggers at the person who spoke to him.

"…You're telling me this now, after you yourself thought I would be useless?"

From under the hood, the man's eyes narrowed in annoyance at the rude remark, but then smirked a bit as a flower formed in his hands, held carefully in his hand. Obviously, their prisoner doesn't fully realize what he was being reserved for nine years after he had first been created by Vexen; but then again, he had been kept under lock and key for so long, it's not hard to see why it would be frustrating to be kept in the dark about one's objective – quite literally, in this case – until now.

"Why now, indeed? That's because one of these visitors is someone important to you," the hooded man answered at last, "She lost someone precious, and she must find it again. You must be eager to meet her after not seeing her for so long."

"You lie. You don't know who you're talking about."

Unbeknownst to the prisoner, the hooded man knew who exactly he was talking about. Looking down at the flower in his hand, it gave him a faint feeling of nostalgia as he recalled the face of a broken child… Oh, he knew just the right incentive to convince the prisoner that his mission will be worth the trouble.

"Oh, I know what exactly I am talking about," the man said with a devious grin, "I am talking about a little girl specifically – though I am quite certain she must've grown quite a bit after hiding somewhere for so long. She was a budding little flora, but she was brutally crushed to the point where some would think she cannot continue to grow." He tossed the flower to the floor, as though he was teasing the prisoner. "But against all odds, she did - under the care of helping hands, and now she has begun to bloom beautifully into something that puts her namesake to shame. Believe me, if you saw her personally, you'd know why such a prize is quite coveted by other eyes."

The last bit appeared to have caught the attention of the prisoner, as the brown eyes furrowed with envy at the idea of competition. This made the hooded man smirk triumphantly with the knowledge that he successfully ensnared the unknowing pawn to his will, and that twisted information proved to be just the right incentive he needed to use in order to complete the mission.

"You don't mean…"

"Oh, yes, you know what I'm talking about," the hooded man responded, "If you want her, you'll have to do something about the competition. You can do what you wish once the guests arrive, but please do me a favor and keep one of them intact for us."

An eerie silence filled the room for several minutes as the prisoner in the shadows quietly contemplated the request of the hooded man, piecing together what he was talking about. Once the eyes showed realization as to what he was referring to, the eyes showed a degree of understanding where the priorities are aligned to.

Finally, the prisoner relented. "Fine, then. What am I supposed to do?"

The hooded man smiled sinisterly as he felt pleased at his success. "Smart choice. Now, I believe this is a good day to let you out, wouldn't you agree…dear 'brother'?"


End file.
